Gitr ligand and gitr ligand-related molecules and antibodies and uses thereof

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides novel isolated and purified polynucleotides and polypeptides related to a novel ligand for glucocorticoid-induced TNF receptor (GITR). The invention also provides antibodies to the GITR ligand (GITRL). The present invention also is directed to novel methods for diagnosing, prognosing, monitoring the progress of, and treating disorders arising from disregulation of the immune system (e.g., autoimmune disorders, inflammatory diseases, and transplant rejection, and cancers and infectious diseases) using GITRL and/or modulators of GITRL. The present invention is further directed to novel therapeutics and therapeutic targets and to methods of screening and assessing test compounds for the intervention (treatment) and prevention of said disorders arising from disregulation of the immune system, as related to GITRL and GITR.

This application is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser.No. 10/853,032, filed May 24, 2004, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/472,844, filed May 23, 2003, andU.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/547,975, filed Feb. 26, 2004,all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

This invention was made with Government support under NIH IntramuralResearch Project #Z01-AI-000224. The Government has certain rights inthe invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to novel methods for diagnosing,prognosing, monitoring the progress of, and treating disorders arisingfrom disregulation of the immune system (e.g., autoimmune disorders,inflammatory diseases, and transplant rejection, and cancer andinfectious diseases) related to glucocorticoid-induced TNF receptor(GITR) and the ligand associated with GITR (GITRL) and modulatorsrelated thereto. The present invention is further directed to noveltherapeutics and therapeutic targets, and to methods of screening andassessing test compounds for the intervention (treatment) and preventionof disorders arising from disregulation of the immune system, as relatedto GITR and GITRL.

2. Related Background Art

Generally, T lymphocytes are responsible for cell-mediated immunity andplay a regulatory role by enhancing or suppressing the responses ofother white blood cells. The notion that T lymphocytes play a role insuppression of the immune response is well known (see, e.g., Gershon etal. (1970) Immunology 18:723-35). However, the target antigens for thesesuppressor cells and the mechanisms controlling their function are stillsubjects of study.

One population of regulatory T cells that is generated in the thymus isdistinguishable from effector T cells by the expression of uniquemembrane antigens. These regulatory T cells make up a subpopulation ofCD4⁺T cells (i.e., T cells that express the CD4 antigen) that coexpressthe CD25 antigen. CD25 is also known as the interleukin-2 receptor(IL-2R) α-chain. Cotransfer of, or reconstitution with, CD25⁺ T cells isassociated with prevention of both inflammatory lesions and autoimmunityin various animal models (see Shevach (2000) Ann. Rev. Immunol.18:423-49, and references therein). CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells have also beenassociated with inhibition of T cell activation in vitro, and adoptivesuppression of CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells in coculture (Shevach, supra).

More than two decades ago it was demonstrated that some self-reactive Tcells escape mechanisms of central tolerance and exist in the peripheryunder the control of thymic-derived regulatory T cells. In 1995,Sakaguchi and colleagues demonstrated that a small population of CD4⁺Tcells that naturally express the α-chain of IL-2R (i.e., CD25) areinvolved in the control of organ-specific autoreactive T cells(Sakaguchi et al. (1995) J. Immunol. 155:1151-64). Specifically, theydemonstrated that transfer of CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells to immunodeficient hostsled to a spectrum of autoimmune diseases, which could be prevented bycotransfer of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells (Sakaguchi et al., supra). Subsequentstudies have implicated CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T cells in the suppressionof immune responses to viral, bacterial and protozoal infections (Aseffaet al. (2002) J. Immunol. 169:3232-41; Belkaid et al. (2002) Nature420:502-07; Hisaeda et al. (2004) Nat. Med. 10:29-30; Kursar et al.(2002) J. Exp. Med. 196:1585-92; Lundgren et al. (2003) Infect. Immun.71:1755-62; Maloy et al. (2003) J. Exp. Med. 197:111-19). Together,these studies provided evidence that removal of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cellsenhanced the immune response. Many attempts have been made to define theactivation of, and suppression by, these CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells. These cellsrepresent a unique lineage of thymic-derived cells that potentlysuppress both in vitro and in vivo effector T cell function.

Several in vitro studies revealed that CD4⁺CD25⁺ cells suppressproliferation of CD4⁺T cells in response to both mitogens and antigensby turning off transcription of IL-2 (e.g., Thornton and Shevach (1998)J. Exp. Med. 188:287-96; Takahashi et al. (1998) Int. Immunol.10:1969-80). Cotransfer of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells in vivo with autoreactiveCD4⁺ T cells is sufficient to suppress both the induction and effectorphase of organ-specific autoimmunity (Suri-Payer et al. (1999) Eur. J.Immunol. 29:669-77; Suri-Payer et al. (1998) J. Immunol. 160:1212-18).Other properties of the CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells include hyporesponsiveness toT cell receptor (TCR) stimulation in the absence of exogenous IL-2,immunosuppression via cell-cell interaction, and a requirement for TCRsignaling to induce their suppressive phenotype (once they have beenactivated, however, their suppressive function is independent ofantigenic stimulus). It has also been demonstrated that the mereacquisition of CD25 expression, as can be achieved by stimulation ofCD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells, does not induce the suppressive phenotype. TheseCD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells are known to exist in humans (Shevach (2001) J. Exp.Med. 193:F1-F6).

One study demonstrated that altered thymic selection is required forgeneration of regulatory CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells (Jordan et al. (2001) Nat.Immunol. 2:301-06). In addition, studies with knockout mice demonstratedthat molecules involved in IL-2 synthesis and responsiveness arerequired for generation of these cells; mice genetically deficient forIL2 or IL2Rβ, or B7.1 (CD80) and B7.2 (CD86), or CD28 all have severereduction in CD4⁺CD25⁺ cells, with resulting lymphadenopathy andhyperproliferation in the periphery of some of these mice (Papiernik etal. (1998) Int. Immunol. 10:371-78; Salomon et al. (2000) Immunity12:431-40; Kumanogoh et al. (2001) J. Immunol. 166:353-60).

Until recently, the art had failed to determine the mechanisms involvedin CD4⁺CD25⁺-mediated suppression of the immune system, e.g., theantigen specificity, the molecules involved in acquisition ofsuppression, and the cell surface molecules or short acting cytokinesinvolved in the effector phase of suppression; the molecular targets ofCD25⁺ T cells in modulating autoimmunity remained largely unknown aswell. It has now been demonstrated, by examining differential expressionof genes through the use of gene chip analyses on CD4⁺CD25⁺ andCD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells, that several CD25⁺ differential genes exist (McHughet al. (2002) Immunity 16:311-23; see also U.S. patent application Ser.No. 10/194,754, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). Thesegenes, determined to be preferentially expressed on the CD4⁺CD25⁺ Tcells, can serve as targets for therapeutic intervention and screeningmethods for autoimmune disorders, inflammatory diseases and transplantrejection, as well as for cancer and infectious diseases.

Significantly, one of the genes determined to be differentiallyexpressed in CD25⁺ cells is glucocorticoid-induced TNF receptor (GITR)(McHugh et al., supra). GITR, a cell-surface, transmembrane proteinreceptor, is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR)superfamily. GITR has been demonstrated to be constitutively present onnonactivated T cells (Gavin et al. (2002) Nat. Immunol. 3:33-41; McHughet al., supra; Shimizu et al. (2002) Nat. Immunol. 3:135-42). GITR bindsto another transmembrane protein referred to as GITR Ligand (GITRL).Agonistic antibodies to GITR have been shown to abrogate the suppressoractivity of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells, demonstrating a functional role for GITRin regulating the activity of these cells (McHugh et al., supra).Another study confirmed that stimulation of GITR with a specificmonoclonal antibody abrogated CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cell-mediated suppression,thereby inducing autoimmunity (Shimizu et al., supra). These studieshave led to the proposal that GITR is a more faithful marker ofCD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells (Uraushihara et al. (2003) J. Immunol. 171:708-16);however, GITR expression alone does not exclusively distinguish thissubset, as upregulation of GITR also occurs following activation ofCD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells (McHugh et al., supra; Shimizu et al., supra).

Because GITR has been shown to be important in the regulation ofsuppressor activity of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells on CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells, it isdesirable to identify and characterize novel molecules that interactwith GITR. Such novel molecules that interact with GITR are disclosedherein. Additionally, modulators of these molecules are provided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides the nucleotide and amino acid sequencesof a novel mouse homolog of human GITRL. The present invention alsoprovides antibodies to mouse GITRL. The present invention also providesmethods both to reverse immune suppression by inducing agonisticGITR-GITRL binding, and to restore or enhance immune suppression byantagonizing GITR-GITRL binding, e.g., through the use of neutralizingantibodies that inhibit GITRL activity (e.g., that block the interactionbetween GITR and GITRL). Such reversal, or restoration/enhancement, ofimmune suppression is beneficial in the treatment of varied disordersresulting from disregulated immune responses, such as autoimmunedisorders, inflammatory diseases and transplant rejection, and cancerand infectious diseases. The methods of the present invention aredirected to manipulation of GITRL and GITR, including, but not limitedto, mouse GITRL and GITR and their homologs; specifically included amongthese homologs is human GITRL and human GITR.

The present invention provides novel isolated and purifiedpolynucleotides and polypeptides related to a novel ligand for GITR(GITRL). The invention also provides antibodies to GITRL, as well asmethods for treating, diagnosing, prognosing, and monitoring theprogress of autoimmune disorders, inflammatory diseases, and transplantrejection, and cancers and infectious diseases. In one embodiment of theinvention, the disclosed methods and molecules can be used to manipulatethe outcome of an immune response during the treatment of a disease ordisorder, including autoimmune disorders, inflammatory diseases, andtransplant rejection, as well as cancers and infectious diseases. Inanother embodiment, disclosed polynucleotides and polypeptides of theinvention that block or inhibit the interaction between GITR and GITRL,for example by downregulating the expression or activity of GITRL or bybinding to GITRL, but do not induce GITR signaling, can be used torestore or enhance suppression of the immune system. In anotherembodiment, the interaction between GITR and GITRL can be blocked orinhibited by a small molecule. It will be appreciated by one of skill inthe art that these types of regulation (i.e., these embodiments) will bemost beneficial in the treatment of autoimmune disorders and someinflammatory diseases, and similar or related disorders, as well as inthe treatment of transplant rejection. In another embodiment, disclosedpolynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention that induce GITRsignaling, for example by upregulating the expression or activity ofGITRL or by agonistic binding to GITR, can be used to reverse, block, orabrogate suppression of the immune system. In another embodiment, theinteraction between GITR and GITRL can be enhanced or mimicked by asmall molecule. It will be appreciated by one of skill in the art thatthese types of regulation will be most beneficial in the treatment ofcancers and like diseases, as well as infectious diseases. One of skillin the art would also be aware of the likely benefits of combining thesenovel therapies with established and other therapies.

In one embodiment, the invention provides an isolated nucleic acidmolecule comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ IDNO:3. In another embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule is operablylinked to at least one expression control sequence. In anotherembodiment, a host cell transformed or transfected with the nucleic acidmolecule is provided.

In another embodiment, the invention provides an isolated allele of SEQID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3. In another embodiment, the invention provides anisolated gene comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:3.

In another embodiment, the invention provides an isolated nucleic acidmolecule that specifically hybridizes under highly stringent conditionsto the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3, orthe complement thereto.

In another embodiment, the invention provides an isolated nucleic acidmolecule that encodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence ofSEQ ID NO:2, or a fragment thereof that encodes an active fragment ofthe protein. In another embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule, orfragment thereof, is operably linked to at least one expression controlsequence. In another embodiment, a host cell transformed or transfectedwith the isolated nucleic acid molecule, or fragment thereof, operablylinked to at least one expression control sequence is provided. Inanother embodiment, the invention provides a nonhuman transgenic animalin which the somatic and germ cells contain the isolated nucleic acidmolecule, or fragment thereof. In another embodiment, the inventionprovides a nonhuman transgenic animal in which the somatic and germcells contain DNA comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 orSEQ ID NO:3.

In another embodiment, the invention provides an isolated proteincomprising the amino acid sequence encoded for by an isolated nucleicacid that specifically hybridizes under highly stringent conditions tothe nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3, or thecomplement thereto. In another embodiment, the invention provides anisolated protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, oran active fragment thereof.

In another embodiment, the invention provides an isolated nucleic acidmolecule comprising a nucleotide sequence complementary to thenucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3, or a fragmentthereof, wherein expression of the nucleic acid molecule in a cellresults in decreased production of GITRL. In another embodiment, thenucleic acid molecule, or fragment thereof, is operably linked to atleast one expression control sequence. In another embodiment, a hostcell transformed or transfected with the isolated nucleic acid molecule,or fragment thereof, operably linked to at least one expression controlsequence is provided. In another embodiment, the invention provides anonhuman transgenic animal in which the somatic and germ cells containthe isolated nucleic acid molecule, or fragment thereof.

In another embodiment, the invention provides an antisenseoligonucleotide complementary to a mRNA corresponding to a nucleic acidmolecule comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ IDNO:3, or a fragment thereof, wherein the oligonucleotide inhibitsexpression of GITRL. In another embodiment, the invention provides asiRNA molecule corresponding to a nucleic acid molecule comprising thenucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3, or a fragmentthereof, wherein the siRNA molecule inhibits expression of GITRL.

In another embodiment, the invention provides an isolated antibodycapable of specifically binding to an isolated protein comprising theamino acid sequence encoded for by an isolated nucleic acid thatspecifically hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to thenucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3, or thecomplement thereto. In another embodiment, the antibody neutralizesGITRL activity. In another embodiment, the antibody is 5F1, having ATCCnumber PTA-5336, or 10F12, having ATCC number PTA-5337. In anotherembodiment, the antibody comprises the antigen binding fragments of 5F1or 10F12. In another embodiment, the invention provides an isolatedantibody capable of specifically binding to an isolated proteincomprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, or an active fragmentthereof. In another embodiment, the antibody neutralizes GITRL activity.In another embodiment, the antibody is 5F1, having ATCC number PTA-5336,or 10F12, having ATCC number PTA-5337. In another embodiment, theantibody comprises the antigen binding fragments of 5F1 or 10F12.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of screening fortest compounds capable of inhibiting or blocking the interaction ofGITRL with GITR comprising the steps of contacting a sample containingGITRL and GITR with a test compound and determining whether theinteraction of GITRL with GITR in the sample is decreased relative tothe interaction of GITRL with GITR in a sample not contacted with thecompound, whereby a decrease in the interaction of GITRL with GITR inthe sample contacted with the compound identifies the compound as onethat inhibits or blocks the interaction of GITRL with GITR. In anotherembodiment, the identified compound is used in a method of treating asubject at risk for, or diagnosed with, an autoimmune disorder, aninflammatory disease, or transplant rejection, the method comprising thesteps of isolating T cells from the subject, treating the isolated Tcells with the identified compound, and transferring the treated T cellsback into the subject. In another embodiment, the identified compound isused in a method of treating a subject at risk for, or diagnosed with,an autoimmune disorder, an inflammatory disease, or transplantrejection, the method comprising administering to the subject theidentified compound. In another embodiment, the invention provides amethod for assessing the efficacy of the identified compound in asubject comprising the steps of detecting a first number of effector Tcells from the subject prior to administration of the compound to thesubject, detecting a second number of effector T cells from the subjectafter administration of the compound to the subject, and comparing thefirst number and the second number, whereby a significant decrease inthe number of effector T cells in the second number as compared to thefirst number indicates that the compound is efficacious in treating anautoimmune disorder, an inflammatory disease, or transplant rejection inthe subject. In another embodiment, the effector T cells are CD4⁺ Tcells or CD8⁺ T cells.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of screening fortest compounds capable of enhancing or mimicking the interaction ofGITRL with GITR comprising the steps of contacting a sample containingGITRL and GITR with a test compound and determining whether theinteraction of GITRL with GITR in the sample is increased relative tothe interaction of GITRL with GITR in a sample not contacted with thecompound, whereby an increase in the interaction of GITRL with GITR inthe sample contacted with the compound identifies the compound as onethat enhances or mimics the interaction of GITRL with GITR. In anotherembodiment, the identified compound is used in a method of treating asubject at risk for, or diagnosed with, cancer or an infectious disease,the method comprising the steps of isolating T cells from the subject,treating the isolated T cells with the identified compound, andtransferring the treated T cells back into the subject. In anotherembodiment, the identified compound is used in a method of treating asubject at risk for, or diagnosed with, cancer or an infectious disease,the method comprising administering to the subject the identifiedcompound. In another embodiment, the invention provides a method forassessing the efficacy of the identified compound in a subjectcomprising the steps of detecting a first number of effector T cellsfrom the subject prior to administration of the compound to the subject,detecting a second number of effector T cells from the subject afteradministration of the compound to the subject, and comparing the firstnumber and the second number, whereby a significant increase in thenumber of effector T cells in the second number as compared to the firstnumber indicates that the compound is efficacious in treating cancer oran infectious disease in the subject. In another embodiment, theeffector T cells are CD4⁺ T cells or CD8⁺ T cells.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a method for diagnosing anautoimmune disorder, an inflammatory disease, or transplant rejection ina subject comprising the steps of detecting a test amount of a GITRLgene product in a sample from the subject, and comparing the test amountwith a normal amount of the GITRL gene product in a control sample,whereby a test amount significantly above the normal amount provides apositive indication in the diagnosis of an autoimmune disorder, aninflammatory disease, or transplant rejection. In another embodiment,the invention provides a method for diagnosing cancer or an infectiousdisease in a subject comprising the steps of detecting a test amount ofa GITRL gene product in a sample from the subject, and comparing thetest amount with a normal amount of the GITRL gene product in a controlsample, whereby a test amount significantly below the normal amountprovides a positive indication in the diagnosis of cancer or aninfectious disease.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of treating asubject at risk for, or diagnosed with, an autoimmune disorder,inflammatory disease, or transplant rejection comprising administeringto the subject a GITR antagonist. In another embodiment, the methodcomprises administering the GITR antagonist such that the susceptibilityof the effector T cells in the subject to suppression by CD4⁺CD25⁺regulatory T cells is maintained (e.g., in an amount effective tomaintain such susceptibility). In another embodiment, the GITRantagonist is selected from the group consisting of a neutralizinganti-GITRL antibody, a neutralizing anti-GITR antibody, a fusion proteincontaining GITR, a fusion protein containing an active fragment of GITR,an antagonistic small molecule, an antisense GITRL nucleic acidmolecule, and a siRNA GITRL nucleic acid molecule. In anotherembodiment, the autoimmune disorder or inflammatory disease is selectedfrom the group consisting of rheumatoid arthritis, encephalomyelitis,osteoarthritis, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune gastritis, systemic lupuserythematosus, psoriasis and other inflammatory dermatoses, type Idiabetes, asthma, allergy, and inflammatory bowel diseases, includingCrohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of treating asubject at risk for, or diagnosed with, cancer or an infectious diseasecomprising administering to the subject a GITR agonist. In anotherembodiment, the method comprises administering the GITR agonist suchthat GITR agonist provides a costimulatory signal to effector T cells inthe subject and renders them less susceptible to suppression byCD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T cells in the subject (e.g., in an amounteffective to provide such a signal). In another embodiment, the GITRagonist is selected from the group consisting of GITRL, an activefragment of GITRL, a fusion protein containing GITRL, a fusion proteincontaining an active fragment of GITRL, and an agonistic GITR antibody.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of inducingproliferation of a cell population containing effector T cellscomprising administering a GITR agonist to the cell population. Inanother embodiment, the GITR agonist is selected from the groupconsisting of GITRL, an active fragment of GITRL, a fusion proteincontaining GITRL, a fusion protein containing an active fragment ofGITRL, and an agonistic GITR antibody. In another embodiment, theeffector T cells are CD4⁺ T cells or CD8⁺ T cells.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of inhibitingproliferation of a cell population containing effector T cellscomprising administering a GITR antagonist to the cell population. Inanother embodiment, the GITR antagonist is selected from the groupconsisting of a neutralizing anti-GITRL antibody, a neutralizinganti-GITR antibody, a fusion protein containing GITR, a fusion proteincontaining an active fragment of GITR, an antagonistic small molecule,an antisense GITRL nucleic acid molecule, and a siRNA GITRL nucleic acidmolecule. In another embodiment, the effector T cells are CD4⁺ T cellsor CD8⁺ T cells. In another embodiment, the GITR antagonist is 5F1 or10F12.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of inhibiting orblocking suppression of a cell population comprising effector T cells inthe presence of CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T cells comprising administering aGITR agonist to the cell population. In another embodiment, the methodcomprises administering the GITR agonist such that the GITR agonistprovides a costimulatory signal to the effector T cells and renders themless susceptible to suppression by the CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T cells(e.g., in an amount effective to provide such a signal). In anotherembodiment, the GITR agonist is selected from the group consisting ofGITRL, an active fragment of GITRL, a fusion protein containing GITRL, afusion protein containing an active fragment of GITRL, and an agonisticGITR antibody. In another embodiment, the effector T cells are CD4⁺ Tcells or CD8⁺ T cells.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of suppressing acell population comprising effector T cells in the presence of CD4⁺CD25⁺regulatory T cells comprising administering a GITR antagonist to thecell population. In another embodiment, the method comprisesadministering the GITR antagonist such that the susceptibility of theeffector T cells to suppression by the CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T cells ismaintained (e.g., in an amount effective to maintain suchsusceptibility). In another embodiment, the GITR antagonist is selectedfrom the group consisting of a neutralizing anti-GITRL antibody, aneutralizing anti-GITR antibody, a fusion protein containing GITR, afusion protein containing an active fragment of GITR, an antagonisticsmall molecule, an antisense GITRL nucleic acid molecule, and a siRNAGITRL nucleic acid molecule. In another embodiment, the effector T cellsare CD4⁺ T cells or CD8⁺ T cells. In another embodiment, the GITRantagonist is 5F1 or 10F12.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of inhibiting theexpression of GITRL in a cell population comprising treating the cellpopulation with an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising anucleotide sequence complementary to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ IDNO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3, or a fragment thereof, wherein expression of thenucleic acid molecule in a cell results in decreased production of GITRLIn another embodiment, the invention provides a method of inhibiting theexpression of GITRL in a cell population comprising treating the cellpopulation with an antisense oligonucleotide complementary to a mRNAcorresponding to a nucleic acid molecule comprising the nucleotidesequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3, or a fragment thereof, whereinthe oligonucleotide inhibits expression of GITRL.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of inhibiting theexpression of GITRL in a cell population comprising treating the cellpopulation with a siRNA molecule targeted to a mRNA corresponding to anisolated nucleic acid molecule comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3. In another embodiment, the invention provides amethod of inhibiting the expression of GITRL in a cell populationcomprising treating the cell population with a siRNA molecule targetedto a mRNA corresponding to an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprisinga nucleotide sequence complementary to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ IDNO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of inhibiting theexpression of GITRL in a cell population comprising treating the cellpopulation with an antisense oligonucleotide to a nucleic acid moleculeencoding GITRL. In another embodiment, the invention provides a methodof inhibiting the expression of GITRL in a cell population comprisingtreating the cell population with a siRNA molecule targeted to a mRNAencoding GITRL.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of inducing theexpression of GITRL in a cell population comprising treating the cellpopulation by transforming or transfecting the cell population with anisolated nucleic acid molecule comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3, or with an isolated nucleic acid molecule thatencodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, ora fragment thereof that encodes an active fragment of the protein,wherein the nucleic acid molecule is operably linked to at least oneexpression control sequence.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a population of effector Tcells that have been contacted in vitro or ex vivo with a GITR agonist.In another embodiment, the GITR agonist is selected from the groupconsisting of GITRL, or an active fragment of GITRL, a fusion proteincontaining GITRL, a fusion protein containing an active fragment ofGITRL, an agonistic small molecule, and an agonistic anti-GITR antibody.In another embodiment, the effector T cells are CD4⁺ T cells or CD8⁺ Tcells.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of treatingcancer or an infectious disease in a subject, the method comprising thesteps of obtaining a population of effector T cells, treating thepopulation with a GITR agonist, and administering the treated populationto the subject afflicted with cancer or an infectious disease. Inanother embodiment, the GITR agonist is selected from the groupconsisting of GITRL, an active fragment of GITRL, a fusion proteincontaining GITRL, a fusion protein containing an active fragment ofGITRL, an agonistic small molecule, and an agonistic anti-GITR antibody.In another embodiment, the subject is afflicted with cancer and thetreated population is used as a tumor vaccine.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a pharmaceuticalcomposition comprising a GITR agonist and a pharmaceutically acceptablecarrier. In another embodiment, the GITR agonist is selected from thegroup consisting of GITRL, an active fragment of GITRL, a fusion proteincontaining GITRL, a fusion protein containing an active fragment ofGITRL, an agonistic small molecule, and an agonistic anti-GITR antibody.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a pharmaceuticalcomposition comprising a GITR antagonist and a pharmaceuticallyacceptable carrier. In another embodiment, the GITR antagonist isselected from the group consisting of a neutralizing anti-GITRLantibody, a neutralizing anti-GITR antibody, a fusion protein containingGITR, a fusion protein containing an active fragment of GITR, anantagonistic small molecule, an antisense GITRL nucleic acid molecule,and a siRNA GITRL nucleic acid molecule. In another embodiment, theantibody comprises the antigen binding fragments of 5F1 or 10F12.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a vaccine adjuvantcomprising a GITR agonist and an antigen selected from the groupconsisting of a viral antigen, a bacterial antigen, a fungal antigen, aparasitic antigen, a cancer antigen, a tumor-associated antigen, andfragments thereof. In another embodiment, the GITR agonist is selectedfrom the group consisting of GITRL, or an active fragment of GITRL, afusion protein containing GITRL, a fusion protein containing an activefragment of GITRL, an agonistic small molecule, and an agonisticanti-GITR antibody.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a vaccine adjuvantcomprising a GITR antagonist and an antigen selected from the groupconsisting of an autoantigen, amyloid peptide protein, an alloantigen, atransplant antigen, an allergen, and fragments thereof. In anotherembodiment, the GITR antagonist is selected from the group consisting ofa neutralizing anti-GITRL antibody, a neutralizing anti-GITR antibody, afusion protein containing GITR, a fusion protein containing an activefragment of GITR, an antagonistic small molecule, an antisense GITRLnucleic acid molecule, and a siRNA GITRL nucleic acid molecule. Inanother embodiment, the antibody comprises the antigen binding fragmentsof 5F1 or 10F12.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of screening fortest compounds capable of neutralizing GITRL activity comprising thesteps of contacting a sample containing GITRL and a neutralizingantibody with the compound, and determining whether the interaction ofGITRL with the neutralizing antibody in the sample is decreased relativeto the interaction of GITRL with the neutralizing antibody in a samplenot contacted with the compound, whereby a decrease in the interactionof GITRL with the neutralizing antibody in the sample contacted with thecompound identifies the compound as one that inhibits or blocks theinteraction of GITRL with the neutralizing antibody. In anotherembodiment, the antibody is 5F1 or 10F12.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of providing acostimulatory signal to a cell population comprising effector T cells,the method comprising administering a GITR agonist. In anotherembodiment, the GITR agonist is protein selected from the groupconsisting of selected from the group consisting of GITRL, or an activefragment of GITRL, a fusion protein containing GITRL, a fusion proteincontaining an active fragment of GITR, and an agonistic anti-GITRantibody. In another embodiment, the effector T cells are CD4⁺ T cellsor CD8⁺ T cells.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the alignment (based on BLOSUM62 amino acid substitutionmatrix; see Henikoff and Henikoff (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA89:10915-19) of the amino acid sequences for mouse (m; SEQ ID NO:2) andhuman (h; SEQ ID NO:9) GITRL.

FIG. 2 shows the results of experiments on the effects of GITRL:GITRbinding on proliferation of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells. Thymidine incorporationis measured (CPM) as a means of assessing cellular proliferation. FIG.2A shows that an agonistic anti-GITR antibody stimulated theproliferation of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells, but not CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells. FIG. 2Bshows that YB2/0 cells expressing GITRL stimulated the proliferation ofCD4⁺CD25⁺ cells.

FIG. 3A shows that GITRL expressed by YB2/0 cells (50,000), as well asagonistic anti-GITR antibody (2 μg/ml), reversed the suppression (i.e.,negative percent suppression) produced by freshly isolated CD4⁺CD25⁺suppressor T cells (# suppressors). FIG. 3B shows that GITRL-YB2/0 cellsin numbers less than 50,000 (i.e., ˜3,000-25,000) were able to partiallyreverse suppression in a dose-dependent manner.

FIG. 4 shows that GITRL-YB2/0 cells (50,000) did not reverse suppressionwhen activated CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells were used in place of freshly isolatedCD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells; similar results were obtained with agonisticanti-GITR antibody.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show that the GITRL-induced reversal of the suppressionproduced by freshly isolated CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells can itself be reversed(i.e., restoration of suppression) in the presence of anti-GITRLantibody (“anti-GITRL”=5F1 antibody). FIG. 5B includes an additionalexperiment showing that a control antibody (“control Ig”) did notrestore suppression.

FIG. 6 shows that anti-GITRL antibody can only enhance suppression inthe presence of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells. FIG. 6A shows the suppression of theproliferation of lymph node cells in the presence of anti-GITRL antibody(5F1). FIG. 6B shows the lack of the suppressive activity of anti-GITRLantibody when the lymph node cell population was depleted of CD4⁺CD25⁺ Tcells.

FIG. 7 shows the distribution of GITRL expressing cells in lymphoidtissues. FIG. 7A: Flow cytometric analysis was performed on CD11c⁻cells, enriched from the spleen of BALB/c mice with magnetic beads, bystaining with anti-CD4, anti-CD8 and anti-GITRL antibodies. GITRLexpression was determined by comparing the fluorescence intensity ofCD4⁺, CD8⁺, and CD4⁻ CD8⁻-gated subsets (top, middle, and bottomhistogram panels, respectively) stained with anti-GITRL antibody (filledhistograms) to the fluorescence intensity of these cells stained with anisotype control antibody (unfilled histograms). FIG. 7B: Expression ofGITRL by splenic dendritic cells (DCs) and B-1 B cells was determined bystaining freshly isolated BALB/c CD11c⁺ splenic DCs (top histogrampanel) and CD11c^(low)B220⁺ plasmacytoid DCs (bottom histogram panel)with anti-GITRL mAb (filled histograms) or an isotype control antibody(unfilled histograms) and performing flow cytometric analysis. FIG. 7C(top histogram panel): The fluorescence intensities of B220⁺ B cellsamong total splenocytes (filled histogram), and CD11b⁺ B220⁺-gatedperitoneal (perC) B-1 B cells (solid line unfilled histogram) stainedwith anti-GITRL antibody were compared with the fluorescence intensityof cells stained with an isotype control (broken line unfilledhistogram). FIG. 7C (bottom histogram panel): A comparison of thefluorescence intensity of GITRL-antibody stained (filled histogram) andisotype antibody stained (unfilled histogram) perC macrophages (CD11b⁺B220⁻ cells) is shown. FIG. 7D: Thymocytes were stained for expressionof CD4, CD8, and either GITRL or an isotype control. The fluorescenceintensities of CD4⁺CD8⁻ (top left quadrant), CD4⁺CD8⁺ (top rightquadrant) and CD4⁻CD8⁺ (bottom right quadrant) cells stained withanti-GITRL antibody (filled histogram) were compared with thefluorescence intensities of these cells stained with an isotype controlantibody (unfilled histogram). FIG. 7E: Expression of GITRL by gatedCD44⁺CD25⁻ (R1), CD44⁺CD25⁺ (R2), CD44⁻CD25⁺ (R3) or CD44⁻CD25⁻ (R4)thymic precursors was determined by comparing the fluorescence of thesecells stained with anti-GITRL antibody (filled histogram) with thefluorescence of these cells stained with isotype control antibody(unfilled histogram). FIG. 7F: Unstimulated lymph node cells werestained with anti-CD4, anti-CD8, anti-CD25 and/or anti-GITRL antibodies.CD4⁺CD8⁻ cells (top left quadrant), and not CD4⁻CD8⁺ cells (bottom rightquadrant), were further delineated with respect to the expression ofCD25 by these cells. Expression of GITRL by CD4⁺CD8⁻CD25⁻ (top righthistogram panel), CD4⁺CD8⁻CD25⁺ (lower right histogram panel) orCD4⁻CD8⁺ (bottom (middle) histogram panel)-gated lymph node cells wasdetermined by comparing the fluorescence intensity of these cellsstained with anti-GITRL antibody (filled histograms) with thefluorescence of these cells stained with an isotype control antibody(unfilled histograms). Results are representative of five independentexperiments.

FIG. 8 shows the downregulation by APCs of GITRL following stimulation.FIG. 8A: Expression of GITRL by purified splenic B220⁺ B cells or totalperitoneal (PerC) B220⁺CD11b⁺ B-1 B cells was determined for differenttime points following treatment with polyI:C (10 μg/ml), LPS (0.5μg/ml), CpGs (ODN 1826, 1 μM), anti-CD40 and IL-4 (10 μg/ml and 20ng/ml, respectively) and anti-IgM (F(ab′)₂ fragment of goat-anti-IgMμ-chain, 1 μg/ml). The fluorescence intensities of anti-GITRL-stainedstimulated cells (filled histograms), anti-GITRL-stained unstimulated(medium) cells (solid line unfilled histograms) and isotype controlantibody stained cells (broken line unfilled histograms) are presented.FIG. 8B: Expression of GITRL by B220⁺ B cells (filled histogram) presentamong total splenocytes treated with anti-CD3 mAb (0.5 μg/ml) after a48-hour culture period was compared with expression of GITRL byunstimulated B220⁺ B cells (solid line unfilled histogram) and B220⁺ Bcells stained with an isotype control antibody (broken line unfilledhistogram). FIG. 8C: Expression of GITRL (top histogram panels) and B7.2(i.e., CD86) (bottom histogram panels) by purified CD11c⁺DCs followingculture with or without LPS (0.5 μg/ml) at the indicated time points.FIG. 8D: Expression of GITRL by total splenocytes gated on CD4⁺ orCD8⁺-expressing cells after a 48-hour culture period in the absence orpresence of soluble anti-CD3 mAb (0.5 μg/ml). Graphs are representativeof two to four independent experiments; all experiments were carried outwith tissues isolated from BALB/c mice.

FIG. 9 demonstrates the effects of blocking GITR/GITRL interactions oninhibition of lymphocyte proliferation. For FIGS. 9A and 9B, barsindicate the s.d. values. FIG. 9A: Proliferation (y-axis) of lymph node(LN; 1×10⁵) and spleen cells (Sp; 0.5×10⁵) with or without CD25⁺ cells(Total or 425, respectively) was determined after 72-hour culture withdifferent concentrations of soluble anti-CD3 (x-axis). Cells wereincubated either in the presence of purified anti-GITRL mAb (10 μg/ml;closed circles) or a rat IgG2_(a) isotype control (10 μg/ml; opencircles). Results are representative of three independent experiments.FIG. 9B: CD4⁺CD25⁻ or CD8⁺ T cells were cultured in the presence of5×10⁴ irradiated (3000R) T-depleted APCs and 5×10⁴ irradiated (8000R)YB2/0-GITRL (open circles) or control YB2/0 (closed circles) cells.Cultures were activated with different concentrations of solubleanti-CD3 mAb (x-axis), and proliferation (y-axis) was measured after a72-hour culture period. FIG. 9C: Mean fluorescence (x-axis) of purifiedCD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells stained with anti-GITR antibody was determined atdifferent time points following activation with soluble anti-CD3 (0.5μg/ml) in the presence of irradiated (3000R) T-depleted splenocytes.Results are representative of at least two independent experiments.

FIG. 10 demonstrates that GITR expression by CD25⁻T cells is required toreverse suppression. FIG. 10A: Proliferation of cocultures of CD4⁺CD25⁻T cells (5×10⁴) from various knockout mice, and variable numbers ofCD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells (x-axis) from various knockout mice [(Aa) CD4⁺CD25⁻:GITR^(+/+), CD4⁺CD25⁺: GITR^(+/+); (Ab) CD4⁺CD25⁻: GITR^(+/+),CD4⁺CD25⁺: GITR^(−/−); (Ac) CD4⁺CD25⁻: GITR^(−/−), CD4⁺CD25⁺:GITR^(+/+); and (Ad) CD4⁺CD25⁻: GITR^(−/−), CD4⁺CD25⁺: GITR^(−/−)],incubated with irradiated APCs from wild type mice (5×10⁴) and withsoluble anti-CD3 (0.5 μg/ml) and 2 μg/ml of either anti-GITR antibody(filled circles) or an isotype control antibody (open circles) wasdetermined by measuring ³H-thymidine uptake (cpm; y-axis). FIG. 10B:Proliferation of cocultures was performed as above (FIG. 10A) withvariable numbers of mouse CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells (x-axis) and either (Ba)mouse CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells or (Bb) rat CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells in the presence ofirradiated (3000R) rat APCs. Cultures were stimulated with a cocktail ofantibodies against both rat and mouse anti-CD3 (0.25 μg/ml of each), andwere treated with 2 μg/ml of either an isotype control (Rat IgG; opencircles) or anti-GITR (DTA-1; filled circles) antibody. Bars indicatethe s.d. values calculated from proliferation in triplicate cultures.FIG. 10C: Fluorescence (x-axis) of CFSE-stained mouse CD4⁺CD25⁺ (toppanels) and rat CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells (bottom panels) cocultured at a 1:8suppressor to responder ratio with isotype control (Rat IgG; leftpanels) or anti-GITR antibody (DTA-1; right panels) is depicted. Mouseand rat T cell subsets were distinguished by staining with specificanti-CD4 antibodies. Results are representative of two to fourindependent experiments.

FIG. 11 demonstrates that GITR signals are required to overcomesuppression mediated by endogenous regulatory T cells. FIG. 11A:CFSE-labeled lymph node (LN) cells (5×10⁴) from B6 (wild type),GITR^(+/−), CD28^(−/−) and GITR^(−/−) mice were cultured for 72 hourswith different concentrations of soluble anti-CD3 mAb (x-axis). Total LNcells were cultured without (Aa) or with (Ac) exogenous of IL-2 (50U/ml). LN cells depleted of CD25⁺ cells (LNΔ25) were cultured without(Ab) or with (Ad) exogenous IL-2 (50 U/ml). Bars indicating the s.d.values were omitted for clarity. FIG. 11B: Flow cytometric assessment ofCFSE dilution by CD4⁺ and CD8⁺-gated lymph node T cells isolated fromCD28^(−/−), GITR^(−/−), GITR^(+/+) or GITR^(+/−) animals was performedafter 72-hour culture. The results correspond to the 0.63 μg/mlconcentration of soluble anti-CD3 (as in FIG. 11A). FIG. 11C: Flowcytometric analysis of CD25 expression was performed on H-2D^(b)positive CD4⁺CD25⁻ cells that remained unstimulated (broken lineunfilled histograms), were obtained from GITR^(−/−) mice (solid lineunfilled histograms), or were obtained from GITR^(+/+) mice (filledhistograms). CD25 expression by CD4⁺CD25⁻ cells obtained from GITR^(−/−)or GITR^(+/+) mice was determined after 24-hour culture with LN APCsfrom wild type mice, in the presence of anti-CD3 (0.5 μg/ml), and in theabsence (left histogram panels) or presence (right histogram panels) ofCD4⁺CD25⁺ cells from BALB/c mice at a 1:2 suppressor to responder ratio.CD25 expression was also determined in the absence (top histogrampanels) or presence (bottom histogram panels) of 50 U/ml rhIL-2. Resultsabove are representative of three independent experiments.

FIG. 12 demonstrates that CD28-dependent costimulation enhances GITRexpression and responsiveness. FIG. 12A: Flow cytometric analysis ofGITR expression by purified CD4⁺CD25⁻ or CD8⁺ T cells (2.5×10⁴) after72-hour culture with plate-bound anti-CD3 and 2 μg/ml of eitherplate-bound hamster isotype (“aCD3”) or plate-bound anti-CD28(“aCD3+aCD28”). FIG. 12B (left histogram panel): Anti-GITR staining ofCD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells cultured in the presence of irradiated, Tcell-depleted splenocytes and soluble anti-CD3 (0.5 μg/ml) with orwithout a cocktail of anti-CD80/86 (10 μg/ml of each) antibodies (i.e.,anti-B7.1/7.2 antibodies) for 72 hours. FIG. 12B (right histogrampanel): Anti-GITR staining of CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells cultured in the presenceof irradiated, T cell-depleted splenocytes and soluble anti-CD3 (0.5μg/ml) with or without a cocktail of antibodies against IL-2 and IL-2Rα.FIG. 12C: Proliferation was assessed in the presence or absence ofanti-CD80/86 mAbs (10 μg/ml of each; “aB7”) with the addition of eitheranti-GITR mAb (2 μg/ml; “DTA-1”) or an isotype control antibody (2μg/ml; “Rat IgG”). Bars indicate the s.d. values. Results arerepresentative of two to three independent experiments.

FIG. 13 demonstrates that GITRL binding to GITR provides a costimulatorysignal to effector T cells. FIG. 13A: Proliferation of effectorGITR⁺/TCR⁺HT-2 T cells (4×10⁴) alone (white bars) or cocultured with1×10⁴ control YB2/0 cells (cross-hatch bars) or GITRL-expressing YB2/0cells (filled bars), in the absence or presence of one or two anti-CD3beads per HT-2 cell, was determined by measuring ³H-thymidine uptake(cpm; y-axis). FIG. 13B: Proliferation of 4×10⁴ HT-2 cells coculturedwith two anti-CD3 beads per cell, 1×10⁴ GITRL-expressing YB2/0 cells,and increasing concentrations (ng/ml; x-axis) of an anti-GITRL antibody(5F1.1; filled circles) or an isotype control antibody (rIgG1; opencircles) was determined by measuring ³H-thymidine uptake (cpm; y-axis).FIG. 13C: Proliferation of 4×10⁴ HT-2 cells cocultured with two anti-CD3beads per cell, 1×10⁴ GITRL-expressing YB2/0 cells, and increasingconcentrations (ng/ml; x-axis) of four different anti-GITRL antibodies:5F1.1 (filled circles), MGLT-10 (filled squares), MGTL-15 (open squares)or a polyclonal antibody (open circles) was determined by measuring³H-thymidine uptake (cpm; y-axis).

FIG. 14 demonstrates that blocking GITR-GITRL binding with an anti-GITRLantibody prevents adoptive transfer of PLP-induced experimentalautoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). The incidence of EAE in mice wasassessed. Mice were injected with 5×10⁶ splenocytes that were isolatedfrom female SLJ mice immunized with 15 μg PLP peptide and restimulatedex vivo for 3 days in three different conditions: 10 μg/ml PLP alone(open circles), 10 μg/ml PLP and 10 μg/ml of an isotype control antibody(CKO1; filled circles), or 10 μg/ml PLP and anti-GITRL antibody (5F1.1;filled squares). The incidence of EAE was monitored for 52 days (x-axis)and scored on a scale of 0 to 5 (y-axis).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As the antibodies to GITR that produce a reversal of suppressiveactivity appear to produce an agonistic signal, it was predicted thatengagement of GITR by GITRL should also inhibit the suppressive activityof regulatory T cells. The lack of suitable reagents previously hasprecluded a detailed functional analysis of GITR/GITRL interactionsunder more physiological conditions. Here, the mouse ortholog of GITRLhas been identified, and antagonistic antibodies that specifically bindto the mouse ortholog of GITRL, i.e., do not cross-react with humanGITRL, have been generated.

Using this reagent, the tissue distribution and regulation of GITRL wereexamined. In addition, the ability of GITR/GITRL interactions toregulate T cell suppression was investigated using GITR^(−/−) mice. Asboth CD25⁻ and CD25⁺ T cells express GITR, albeit to varying degrees,the previous studies demonstrating an inhibition of suppressor functionupon treatment of cocultures with an agonistic anti-GITR antibodyyielded equivocal results regarding the cellular target of engagement ofGITR. Here, using combinations of CD4⁺CD25⁺ and CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells fromwild type and GITR^(−/−) mice in coculture experiments, it was foundthat ligation of GITR on the CD4⁺CD25⁻ responder T cells, not theCD4⁺CD25⁺ suppressor T cells, was required to abrogate suppression. Inthe absence of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells, GITR^(−/−) T cells mountedproliferative responses similar to those of wild type animals, althoughthey were totally suppressed in the presence of physiological numbers ofCD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells. These results suggest, for the first time, thatGITR/GITRL engagement provides a previously undefined signal thatrenders effector T cells resistant to the inhibitory effects ofCD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells. Thus, the downregulation of GITRL expressionsubsequent to secondary inflammatory signals may facilitateCD4⁺CD25⁺-mediated suppression and prevent the deleterious consequencesof an exuberant effector cell response.

This research has shed new light on the mechanisms underlying theinteraction of GITR and its ligand, GITRL, especially regarding theeffects on CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells, the cells traditionally understood to bethe target of suppressive activity. In summary, using GITR^(−/−) mice,the capacity of anti-GITR mAb (the agonistic mouse antibody to GITR) toabrogate suppression was demonstrated to be mediated by its action onCD4⁺CD25⁻, not CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells (as previously proposed by severalstudies). APCs (antigen presenting cells) constitutively express GITRL,which is downregulated following Toll-like receptor signaling. AlthoughGITR^(−/−) mouse CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells were capable of mountingproliferative responses, they were incapable of proliferation in thepresence of physiological numbers of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells. Thus, GITRLprovides an important signal for CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells, and other effector Tcells (e.g., CD8⁺ T cells), rendering them resistant toCD4⁺CD25⁺-mediated regulation at the initiation of the immune response.The downregulation of GITRL by inflammatory stimuli may enhance thesusceptibility of effector T cells (e.g., CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells) tosuppressor activity during the course of, e.g., cancer or an infectiousinsult.

To this end, the present invention provides the nucleotide and aminoacid sequences of a novel mouse homolog of human GITRL. Human GITRL hasbeen identified (Kwon et al. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274:6056-61; Gurneyet al. (1999) Curr. Biol. 9:215-18); in addition, several groups veryrecently also reported the cloning of the murine GITR ligand (Kim etal., 2003; Tone et al., 2003; Yu et al., 2003).

In one aspect, the present invention provides nucleotide sequences, andamino acid sequences, and active fragments and/or fusion proteinsthereof, of a novel mouse homolog of human GITRL. GITRL polynucleotidesof the invention include polynucleotides that modulate expression ofGITRL, e.g., expression vectors comprising GITRL polynucleotides thatmay upregulate expression of GITRL, and/or antisense and/or RNAi GITRLpolynucleotides that down-regulate the expression of GITRL. Use of suchpolynucleotides to modulate the expression of GITRL in cells and/oranimals are also provided. In addition to GITRL polypeptides, theinvention also provides other agonistic polypeptides, e.g., activefragments of GITRL and/or GITRL fusion proteins that are capable ofmimicking GITRL, i.e., inducing GITR activity in effector T cells.Transformed host cells and transgenic animals containing GITRLpolynucleotides are also within the scope of the invention.

In another aspect, antibodies that specifically bind to the novel murineGITRL polypeptides of the invention (i.e., do not bind to human GITRL)are provided. In particular, neutralizing antibodies that inhibit theactivity of GITRL (e.g., antibodies that prevent GITRL from bindingGITR) are provided; these antibodies can be said to neutralize theactivity of GITRL (i.e., render GITRL ineffective). Neutralizingantibodies of the invention include nonhuman and human antibodies toGITRL that inhibit GITRL activity, as well as chimerized and/orhumanized versions of nonhuman antibodies of the invention that inhibitGITRL activity. Also included within the scope of the invention areantagonistic antibodies that may have one or more mutations, which mayfunction to increase the half-life, stability or affinity of theantibody, or may function to modify the effector function of theantibody.

Another aspect of the invention provides screening assays in which theGITRL polynucleotides and polypeptides, including but not limited tohuman homologs thereof, are used to identify compounds capable ofmodulating the activity of GITR in a cell, organism or subject. Theinvention also provides methods to assess the efficacy of identifiedcompounds whereby the number of T cells in a patient is determinedbefore and after administration of the identified compound.Additionally, the invention provides methods of treating patients orsubjects using the identified compounds.

In addition to providing methods of screening test compounds capable ofmodulating GITR activity, e.g., GITR agonists or GITR antagonists, theinvention provides methods for diagnosing, prognosing and monitoring theprogress of disorders related to disregulation of the immune system,e.g., autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases and transplantrejection, and cancer and infectious diseases.

Methods for using GITRL and related molecules of the invention are alsodisclosed herein, including agonistic GITR molecules (i.e., GITRLpolynucleotides, GITRL polypeptides, active fragments thereof and/orfusion proteins thereof, agonistic small molecules, and agonistic GITRantibodies), and antagonistic GITR molecules (i.e., GITRL inhibitorypolynucleotides, neutralizing GITR antibodies, neutralizing GITRLantibodies, antagonistic small molecules, and GITR fusions proteins),for the therapeutic treatment of disorders related to disregulation ofthe immune system. For example, methods for treating a subject at riskfor, or diagnosed with, an autoimmune disorder, transplant rejection,and/or other inflammatory diseases comprising administering GITRantagonists, e.g., a neutralizing anti-GITRL antibody to the subject areprovided; also, methods of treating a subject at risk for, or diagnosedwith, cancer or infectious diseases comprising administering GITRagonists, e.g., GITRL, or an agonistic fusion protein thereof, areprovided. Alternatively, methods of inducing or inhibiting proliferationof T cells via the administration of GITR agonists, e.g., GITRL(including agonistic fusion proteins thereof), or GITR antagonists,e.g., neutralizing anti-GITRL antibodies or antagonistic GITR fusionproteins, respectively, are provided. Similarly, methods of blocking orenhancing suppression of T cells in the presence of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cellscomprising administration of GITR agonists, e.g., GITRL (includingagonistic fusion proteins thereof), or GITR antagonists, e.g.,neutralizing anti-GITRL antibodies, respectively, are also provided. Tcell populations treated with GITRL polypeptides and related molecules(including agonistic fusion proteins thereof) are within the scope ofthe invention, and may be administered to a subject in a method oftreating cancer or an infectious disease. Other methods of treatment areprovided, including a method of treating a subject at risk for, ordiagnosed with, an autoimmune disorder, an inflammatory disease, ortransplant rejection with an antagonistic compound that decreases GITRactivity, and methods of treating a subject at risk for, or diagnosedwith, cancer or an infectious disease with an agonistic compound thatincreases GITR activity. Pharmaceutical compositions, e.g., vaccineadjuvants, comprising GITRL polynucleotides, polypeptides and relatedmolecules (including agonistic GITRL fusion proteins and antagonisticanti-GITRL antibodies) of the invention are also within the scope of theinvention. The methods of the present invention are directed to GITRLand GITR, including, but not limited to, mouse GITRL and GITR and theirhomologs; specifically included among these homologs is human GITRL andGITR.

GITRL Polynucleotides and Polypeptides

The present invention provides novel isolated and purifiedpolynucleotides and polypeptides related to a novel ligand for GITR(GITRL). The genes, polynucleotides, proteins, and polypeptides of thepresent invention include, but are not limited to, mouse GITRL and itshomologs.

For example, the invention provides purified and isolatedpolynucleotides encoding murine GITRL. Preferred DNA sequences of theinvention include genomic, cDNA and chemically synthesized DNAsequences.

The nucleotide sequence of a cDNA encoding this novel ligand, designatedmouse GITRL cDNA, is set forth in SEQ ID NO:1. Polynucleotides of thepresent invention also include polynucleotides that hybridize understringent conditions to SEQ ID NO:1, or its complement, and/or encodepolypeptides that retain substantial biological activity (i.e., activefragments) of full-length mouse GITRL. Polynucleotides of the presentinvention also include continuous portions of the sequence set forth inSEQ ID NO:1 comprising at least 21 consecutive nucleotides.

The nucleotide sequence of a genomic DNA encoding this novel ligand,designated mouse GITRL genomic DNA, is set forth in SEQ ID NO:3.Polynucleotides of the present invention also include polynucleotidesthat hybridize under stringent conditions to SEQ ID NO:3, or itscomplement, and/or encode polypeptides that retain substantialbiological activity of full-length mouse GITRL. Polynucleotides of thepresent invention also include continuous portions of the sequence setforth in SEQ ID NO:3 comprising at least 21 consecutive nucleotides.

The amino acid sequence of mouse GITRL is set forth in SEQ ID NO:2.Polypeptides of the present invention also include continuous portionsof the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2 comprising at least 7consecutive amino acids. A preferred polypeptide of the presentinvention includes any continuous portion of the sequence set forth inSEQ ID NO:2 that retains substantial biological activity of full-lengthmouse GITRL. Polynucleotides of the present invention also include, inaddition to those polynucleotides of murine origin described above,polynucleotides that encode the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ IDNO:2 or a continuous portion thereof, and that differ from thepolynucleotides described above only due to the well-known degeneracy ofthe genetic code.

The isolated polynucleotides of the present invention may be used ashybridization probes and primers to identify and isolate nucleic acidshaving sequences identical to or similar to those encoding the disclosedpolynucleotides. Hybridization methods for identifying and isolatingnucleic acids include polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Southernhybridizations, in situ hybridization and Northern hybridization, andare well known to those skilled in the art.

Hybridization reactions can be performed under conditions of differentstringency. The stringency of a hybridization reaction includes thedifficulty with which any two nucleic acid molecules will hybridize toone another. Preferably, each hybridizing polynucleotide hybridizes toits corresponding polynucleotide under reduced stringency conditions,more preferably stringent conditions, and most preferably highlystringent conditions. Examples of stringency conditions are shown inTable 1 below: highly stringent conditions are those that are at leastas stringent as, for example, conditions A-F; stringent conditions areat least as stringent as, for example, conditions G-L; and reducedstringency conditions are at least as stringent as, for example,conditions M-R.

TABLE 1 Poly- Hybrid Hybridization Wash Stringency nucleotide LengthTemperature and Temperature Condition Hybrid (bp)¹ Buffer² and Buffer² ADNA:DNA >50 65° C.; 1X SSC -or- 65° C.; 0.3X 42° C.; 1X SSC, SSC 50%formamide B DNA:DNA <50 T_(B)*; 1X SSC T_(B)*; 1X SSC C DNA:RNA >50 67°C.; 1X SSC -or- 67° C.; 0.3X 45° C.; 1X SSC, SSC 50% formamide D DNA:RNA<50 T_(D)*; 1X SSC T_(D)*; 1X SSC E RNA:RNA >50 70° C.; 1X SSC -or- 70°C.; 0.3X 50° C.; 1X SSC, SSC 50% formamide F RNA:RNA <50 T_(F)*; 1X SSCT_(F)*; 1X SSC G DNA:DNA >50 65° C.; 4X SSC -or- 65° C.; 1X 42° C.; 4XSSC, SSC 50% formamide H DNA:DNA <50 T_(H)*; 4X SSC T_(H)*; 4X SSC IDNA:RNA >50 67° C.; 4X SSC -or- 67° C.; 1X 45° C.; 4X SSC, SSC 50%formamide J DNA:RNA <50 T_(J)*; 4X SSC T_(J)*; 4X SSC K RNA:RNA >50 70°C.; 4X SSC -or- 67° C.; 1X 50° C.; 4X SSC, SSC 50% formamide L RNA:RNA<50 T_(L)*; 2X SSC T_(L)*; 2X SSC M DNA:DNA >50 50° C.; 4X SSC -or- 50°C.; 2X 40° C.; 6X SSC, SSC 50% formamide N DNA:DNA <50 T_(N)*; 6X SSCT_(N)*; 6X SSC O DNA:RNA >50 55° C.; 4X SSC -or- 55° C.; 2X 42° C.; 6XSSC, SSC 50% formamide P DNA:RNA <50 T_(P)*; 6X SSC T_(P)*; 6X SSC QRNA:RNA >50 60° C.; 4X SSC -or- 60° C.; 2X 45° C.; 6X SSC, SSC 50%formamide R RNA:RNA <50 T_(R)*; 4X SSC T_(R)*; 4X SSC ¹The hybrid lengthis that anticipated for the hybridized region(s) of the hybridizingpolynucleotides. When hybridizing a polynucleotide to a targetpolynucleotide of unknown sequence, the hybrid length is assumed to bethat of the hybridizing polynucleotide. When polynucleotides of knownsequence are hybridized, the hybrid length can be determined by aligningthe sequences of the polynucleotides and identifying the region orregions of optimal sequence complementarity. ²SSPE (1xSSPE is 0.15MNaCl, 10 mM NaH₂PO₄, and 1.25 mM EDTA, pH 7.4) can be substituted forSSC (1xSSC is 0.15M NaCl and 15 mM sodium citrate) in the hybridizationand wash buffers; washes are performed for 15 minutes afterhybridization is complete. T_(B)*-T_(R)*: The hybridization temperaturefor hybrids anticipated to be less than 50 base pairs in length shouldbe 5-10° C. less than the melting temperature (T_(m)) of the hybrid,where T_(m) is determined according to the following equations. Forhybrids less than 18 base pairs in length, T_(m)(° C.) = 2(# of A + Tbases) + 4(# of G + C bases). For hybrids between 18 and 49 base pairsin length, T_(m)(° C.) = 81.5 + 16.6(log₁₀Na⁺) + 0.41(% G + C) −(600/N), where N is the number of bases in the hybrid, and Na⁺ is theconcentration of sodium ions in the hybridization buffer (Na⁺ for 1X SSC= 0.165 M). Additional examples of stringency conditions forpolynucleotide hybridization are provided in Sambrook et al., MolecularCloning: A Laboratory Manual, Chs. 9 & 11, Cold Spring Harbor LaboratoryPress, Cold Spring Harbor, NY (1989), and Ausubel et al., eds., CurrentProtocols in Molecular Biology, Sects. 2.10 & 6.3-6.4, John Wiley &Sons, Inc. (1995), herein incorporated by reference.

The isolated polynucleotides of the present invention may be used ashybridization probes and primers to identify and isolate DNA havingsequences encoding allelic variants of the disclosed polynucleotides.Allelic variants are naturally occurring alternative forms of thedisclosed polynucleotides that encode polypeptides that are identical toor have significant similarity to the polypeptides encoded by thedisclosed polynucleotides. Preferably, allelic variants have at least90% sequence identity (more preferably, at least 95% identity; mostpreferably, at least 99% identity) with the disclosed polynucleotides.

The isolated polynucleotides of the present invention may also be usedas hybridization probes and primers to identify and isolate DNAs havingsequences encoding polypeptides homologous to the disclosedpolynucleotides. These homologs are polynucleotides and polypeptidesisolated from a different species than that of the disclosedpolypeptides and polynucleotides, or within the same species, but withsignificant sequence similarity to the disclosed polynucleotides andpolypeptides. Preferably, polynucleotide homologs have at least 50%sequence identity (more preferably, at least 75% identity; mostpreferably, at least 90% identity) with the disclosed polynucleotides,whereas polypeptide homologs have at least 30% sequence identity (morepreferably, at least 45% identity; most preferably, at least 60%identity) with the disclosed polypeptides. Preferably, homologs of thedisclosed polynucleotides and polypeptides are those isolated frommammalian species.

The isolated polynucleotides of the present invention may also be usedas hybridization probes and primers to identify cells and tissues thatexpress the polypeptides of the present invention and the conditionsunder which they are expressed.

Additionally, the isolated polynucleotides of the present invention maybe used to alter (i.e., enhance, reduce, or modify) the expression ofthe genes corresponding to the polynucleotides of the present inventionin a cell or organism. These corresponding genes are the genomic DNAsequences of the present invention (e.g., SEQ ID NO:3) that aretranscribed to produce the mRNAs from which the cDNA polynucleotides ofthe present invention (e.g., SEQ ID NO:1) are derived.

Altered expression of the genes of the present invention, including butnot limited to mouse GITRL and its homologs, may be achieved in a cellor organism through the use of various inhibitory polynucleotides, suchas antisense polynucleotides (e.g., antisense GITRL nucleic acidmolecules) and ribozymes that bind and/or cleave the mRNA transcribedfrom the genes of the invention (see, e.g., Galderisi et al. (1999) J.Cell Physiol. 181:251-57; Sioud (2001) Curr. Mol. Med. 1:575-88). Suchinhibitory polynucleotides may be useful in preventing or treatingautoimmune disorders, inflammatory diseases, transplant rejection, andsimilar or related disorders.

The antisense polynucleotides or ribozymes of the invention can becomplementary to an entire coding strand of a gene of the invention, orto only a portion thereof. Alternatively, antisense polynucleotides orribozymes can be complementary to a noncoding region of the codingstrand of a gene of the invention. The antisense polynucleotides orribozymes can be constructed using chemical synthesis and enzymaticligation reactions using procedures well known in the art. Thenucleoside linkages of chemically synthesized polynucleotides can bemodified to enhance their ability to resist nuclease-mediateddegradation, as well as to increase their sequence specificity. Suchlinkage modifications include, but are not limited to, phosphorothioate,methylphosphonate, phosphoroamidate, boranophosphate, morpholino, andpeptide nucleic acid (PNA) linkages (Galderisi et al., supra; Heasman(2002) Dev. Biol. 243:209-14; Micklefield (2001) Curr. Med. Chem.8:1157-79). Alternatively, these molecules can be produced biologicallyusing an expression vector into which a polynucleotide of the presentinvention has been subcloned in an antisense (i.e., reverse)orientation.

The inhibitory polynucleotides of the present invention also includetriplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) that bind in the major groove ofduplex DNA with high specificity and affinity (Knauert and Glazer (2001)Hum. Mol. Genet. 10:2243-51). Expression of the genes of the presentinvention can be inhibited by targeting TFOs complementary to theregulatory regions of the genes (i.e., the promoter and/or enhancersequences) to form triple helical structures that prevent transcriptionof the genes.

In one embodiment of the invention, the inhibitory polynucleotides ofthe present invention are short interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules (e.g.,siRNA GITRL nucleic acid molecules). These siRNA molecules are short(preferably 19-25 nucleotides; most preferably 19 or 21 nucleotides),double-stranded RNA molecules that cause sequence-specific degradationof target mRNA. This degradation is known as RNA interference (RNAi)(e.g., Bass (2001) Nature 411:428-29). Originally identified in lowerorganisms, RNAi has been effectively applied to mammalian cells and hasrecently been shown to prevent fulminant hepatitis in mice treated withsiRNA molecules targeted to Fas mRNA (Song et al. (2003) Nature Med.9:347-51). In addition, intrathecally delivered siRNA has recently beenreported to block pain responses in two models (agonist-induced painmodel and neuropathic pain model) in the rat (Dorn et al. (2004) NucleicAcids Res. 32(5):e49).

The siRNA molecules of the present invention can be generated byannealing two complementary single-stranded RNA molecules together (oneof which matches a portion of the target mRNA) (Fire et al., U.S. Pat.No. 6,506,559) or through the use of a single hairpin RNA molecule thatfolds back on itself to produce the requisite double-stranded portion(Yu et al. (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99:6047-52). The siRNAmolecules can be chemically synthesized (Elbashir et al. (2001) Nature411:494-98) or produced by in vitro transcription using single-strandedDNA templates (Yu et al., supra). Alternatively, the siRNA molecules canbe produced biologically, either transiently (Yu et al., supra; Sui etal. (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99:5515-20) or stably (Paddison etal. (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99:1443-48), using an expressionvector(s) containing the sense and antisense siRNA sequences. Recently,reduction of levels of target mRNA in primary human cells, in anefficient and sequence-specific manner, was demonstrated usingadenoviral vectors that express hairpin RNAs, which are furtherprocessed into siRNAs (Arts et al. (2003) Genome Res. 13:2325-32).

The siRNA molecules targeted to the polynucleotides of the presentinvention can be designed based on criteria well known in the art (e.g.,Elbashir et al. (2001) EMBO J. 20:6877-88). For example, the targetsegment of the target mRNA preferably should begin with AA (mostpreferred), TA, GA, or CA; the GC ratio of the siRNA molecule preferablyshould be 45-55%; the siRNA molecule preferably should not contain threeof the same nucleotides in a row; the siRNA molecule preferably shouldnot contain seven mixed G/Cs in a row; and the target segment preferablyshould be in the ORF region of the target mRNA and preferably should beat least 75 by after the initiation ATG and at least 75 by before thestop codon. Based on these criteria, or on other known criteria (e.g.,Reynolds et al. (2004) Nature Biotechnol. 22:326-30), siRNA molecules ofthe present invention, targeted to the mRNA polynucleotides of thepresent invention, can be designed by one of ordinary skill in the art.

Altered expression of the genes of the present invention in an organismmay also be achieved through the creation of nonhuman transgenic animalsinto whose genomes polynucleotides of the present invention have beenintroduced. Such transgenic animals include animals that have multiplecopies of a gene (i.e., the transgene) of the present invention. Atissue-specific regulatory sequence(s) may be operably linked to thetransgene to direct expression of a polypeptide of the present inventionto particular cells or a particular developmental stage. Methods forgenerating transgenic animals via embryo manipulation andmicroinjection, particularly animals such as mice, have becomeconventional and are well known in the art (e.g., Bockamp et al.,Physiol. Genomics, 11:115-32 (2002)).

Altered expression of the genes of the present invention in an organismmay also be achieved through the creation of animals whose endogenousgenes corresponding to the polynucleotides of the present invention havebeen disrupted through insertion of extraneous polynucleotide sequences(i.e., a knockout animal). The coding region of the endogenous gene maybe disrupted, thereby generating a nonfunctional protein. Alternatively,the upstream regulatory region of the endogenous gene may be disruptedor replaced with different regulatory elements, resulting in the alteredexpression of the still-functional protein. Methods for generatingknockout animals include homologous recombination and are well known inthe art (e.g., Wolfer et al., Trends Neurosci., 25:336-40 (2002)).

The isolated polynucleotides of the present invention may be operablylinked to an expression control sequence and/or ligated into anexpression vector for recombinant production of the polypeptides of thepresent invention. General methods of expressing recombinant proteinsare well known in the art. Such recombinant proteins may be expressed insoluble form for use in treatment of disorders resulting fromdisregulation of the immune system; such disorders include, for example,cancers and infectious diseases, and autoimmune disorders andinflammatory diseases, and transplant rejection. Autoimmune disordersand inflammatory diseases include, but are not limited to, rheumatoidarthritis, encephalomyelitis, osteoarthritis, multiple sclerosis,autoimmune gastritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis and otherinflammatory dermatoses, type I diabetes, asthma, allergy, andinflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn's disease and ulcerativecolitis.

An expression vector, as used herein, is intended to refer to a nucleicacid molecule capable of transporting another nucleic acid to which ithas been linked. One type of vector is a plasmid, which refers to acircular double stranded DNA loop into which additional DNA segments maybe ligated. Another type of vector is a viral vector, wherein additionalDNA segments may be ligated into the viral genome. Certain vectors arecapable of autonomous replication in a host cell into which they areintroduced (e.g., bacterial vectors having a bacterial origin ofreplication and episomal mammalian vectors). Other vectors (e.g.,nonepisomal mammalian vectors) can be integrated into the genome of ahost cell upon introduction into the host cell, and thereby arereplicated along with the host genome. Moreover, certain vectors arecapable of directing the expression of genes to which they are operablylinked. Such vectors are referred to herein as recombinant expressionvectors (or simply, expression vectors). In general, expression vectorsof utility in recombinant DNA techniques are often in the form ofplasmids. In the present specification, plasmid and vector may be usedinterchangeably as the plasmid is the most commonly used form of vector.However, the invention is intended to include other forms of expressionvectors, such as viral vectors (e.g., replication defectiveretroviruses, adenoviruses and adeno-associated viruses) that serveequivalent functions.

In one embodiment, the polynucleotides of the present invention are usedto create GITR agonists, e.g., GITRL polypeptides, including activefragments and/or fusion polypeptides thereof, which are also within thescope of the invention. For example, a GITRL polypeptide or activefragments thereof may be fused to a second moiety, e.g., animmunoglobulin or a fragment thereof (e.g., an Fc binding fragmentthereof). In some embodiments, the first polypeptide includesfull-length GITRL polypeptide. Alternatively, the first polypeptide maycomprise less than the full-length GITRL polypeptide. Additionally,soluble forms of GITRL may be fused through “linker” sequences to the Fcportion of an immunoglobulin. Other fusions proteins, such as those withglutathione-S-transferase (GST), Lex-A, thioredoxin (TRX) ormaltose-binding protein (MBP), may also be used.

The fusion proteins may additionally include a linker sequence joiningthe GITRL or GITRL fragment to the second moiety. Use of such linkersequences are well known in the art. For example, the fusion protein caninclude a peptide linker, e.g., a peptide linker of about 2 to 20, morepreferably less than 10, amino acids in length. In one embodiment, thepeptide linker may be 2 amino acids in length.

In another embodiment, the fusion protein includes a heterologous signalsequence (i.e., a polypeptide sequence that is not present in apolypeptide encoded by a GITRL nucleic acid) at its N-terminus. Forexample, a signal sequence from another protein may be fused with aGITRL polypeptide, including active fragments and/or fusion proteinsthereof. In certain host cells (e.g., mammalian host cells), expressionand/or secretion of GITRL can be increased through use of a heterologoussignal sequence.

A signal peptide that can be included in the fusion protein isMKFLVNVALVFMVVYISYIYA (SEQ ID NO:11). If desired, one or more aminoacids can additionally be inserted between the first polypeptide moietycomprising the GITRL moiety and the second polypeptide moiety. Thesecond polypeptide is preferably soluble. In some embodiments, thesecond polypeptide enhances the half-life, (e.g., the serum half-life)of the linked polypeptide. In some embodiments, the second polypeptideincludes a sequence that facilitates association of the fusionpolypeptide with a second GITRL polypeptide. In preferred embodiments,the second polypeptide includes at least a region of an immunoglobulinpolypeptide. Immunoglobulin fusion polypeptide are known in the art andare described in e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,516,964; 5,225,538; 5,428,130;5,514,582; 5,714,147; and 5,455,165, all of which are herebyincorporated by reference.

A chimeric or fusion protein of the invention can be produced bystandard recombinant DNA techniques. For example, DNA fragments codingfor the different polypeptide sequences are ligated together in-frame inaccordance with conventional techniques, e.g., by employing blunt-endedor stagger-ended termini for ligation, restriction enzyme digestion toprovide for appropriate termini, filling-in of cohesive ends asappropriate, alkaline phosphatase treatment to avoid undesirablejoining, and enzymatic ligation. In another embodiment, the fusion genecan be synthesized by conventional techniques including automated DNAsynthesizers. Alternatively, PCR amplification of gene fragments can becarried out using anchor primers that give rise to complementaryoverhangs between two consecutive gene fragments that can subsequentlybe annealed and reamplified to generate a chimeric gene sequence (see,for example, Ausubel et al. (Eds.) CURRENT PROTOCOLS IN MOLECULARBIOLOGY, John Wiley & Sons, 1992). Moreover, many expression vectors arecommercially available that encode a fusion moiety (e.g., an Fc regionof an immunoglobulin heavy chain). A GITRL-encoding nucleic acid can becloned into such an expression vector such that the fusion moiety islinked in-frame to the immunoglobulin protein. In some embodiments,GITRL fusion polypeptides exist as oligomers, such as dimers or trimers.

A number of cell lines may act as suitable host cells for recombinantexpression of the polypeptides of the present invention. Mammalian hostcell lines include, for example, COS cells, CHO cells, 293T cells, A431cells, 3T3 cells, CV-1 cells, HeLa cells, L cells, BHK21 cells, HL-60cells, U937 cells, HaK cells, Jurkat cells, as well as cell strainsderived from in vitro culture of primary tissue and primary explants.

Alternatively, it may be possible to recombinantly produce thepolypeptides of the present invention in lower eukaryotes such as yeastor in prokaryotes. Potentially suitable yeast strains includeSaccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Kluyveromycesstrains, and Candida strains. Potentially suitable bacterial strainsinclude Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Salmonella typhimurium.If the polypeptides of the present invention are made in yeast orbacteria, it may be necessary to modify them by, for example,phosphorylation or glycosylation of appropriate sites, in order toobtain functionality. Such covalent attachments may be accomplishedusing well-known chemical or enzymatic methods.

Expression in bacteria may result in formation of inclusion bodiesincorporating the recombinant protein. Thus, refolding of therecombinant protein may be required in order to produce active or moreactive material. Several methods for obtaining correctly foldedheterologous proteins from bacterial inclusion bodies are known in theart. These methods generally involve solubilizing the protein from theinclusion bodies, then denaturing the protein completely using achaotropic agent. When cysteine residues are present in the primaryamino acid sequence of the protein, it is often necessary to accomplishthe refolding in an environment that allows correct formation ofdisulfide bonds (a redox system). General methods of refolding aredisclosed in Kohno (1990) Meth. Enzymol. 185:187-95. EP 0433225, andU.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/163,877 describe other appropriatemethods.

The polypeptides of the present invention may also be recombinantlyproduced by operably linking the isolated polynucleotides of the presentinvention to suitable control sequences in one or more insect expressionvectors, such as baculovirus vectors, and employing an insect cellexpression system. Materials and methods for baculovirus/Sf9 expressionsystems are commercially available in kit form (e.g., the MaxBac® kit,Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Calif.).

GITR agonists, e.g., GITRL protein, active fragments and/or fusionprotein thereof, may be prepared by growing a culture transformed hostcells under culture conditions necessary to express the desired protein.Following recombinant expression in the appropriate host cells, thepolypeptides of the present invention may then be purified from culturemedium or cell extracts using known purification processes, such as gelfiltration and ion exchange chromatography. Soluble forms of GITRagonists, e.g., GITRL protein, active fragments and/or fusion proteinthereof, can be purified from conditioned media. Membrane-bound formsof, e.g., a GITRL protein of the invention can be purified by preparinga total membrane fraction from the expressing cell and extracting themembranes with a nonionic detergent such as Triton X-100. Purificationmay also include affinity chromatography with agents known to bind thepolypeptides of the present invention. These purification processes mayalso be used to purify the polypeptides of the present invention fromother sources, including natural sources. As previously described, GITRagonists, e.g., GITRL protein, active fragments and/or fusion proteinthereof, may also be expressed as a product of transgenic animals, e.g.,as a component of the milk of transgenic cows, goats, pigs, or sheep,which are characterized by somatic or germ cells containing apolynucleotide sequence encoding the GITR agonists.

The methods that may be used to purify GITR agonists, e.g., GITRLprotein, active fragments and/or fusion protein thereof, are known tothose skilled in the art. For example, a GITRL protein of the inventionmay be concentrated using a commercially available protein concentrationfilter, for example, an Amicon or Millipore Pellicon ultrafiltrationunit. Following the concentration step, the concentrate can be appliedto a purification matrix such as a gel filtration medium. Alternatively,an anion exchange resin can be employed, for example, a matrix orsubstrate having pendant diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) or polyetheyleneimine(PEI) groups. The matrices can be acrylamide, agarose, dextran,cellulose or other types commonly employed in protein purification.Alternatively, a cation exchange step can be employed. Suitable cationexchangers include various insoluble matrices comprising sulfopropyl orcarboxymethyl groups. Sulfopropyl groups are preferred (e.g.,S-Sepharose® columns). The purification of GITR agonists, e.g., GITRLprotein, active fragments and/or fusion protein thereof, from culturesupernatant may also include one or more column steps over such affinityresins as concanavalin A-agarose, Heparin-Toyopearl® or Cibacrom blue3GA Sepharose®; or by hydrophobic interaction chromatography using suchresins as phenyl ether, butyl ether, or propyl ether; or byimmunoaffinity chromatography. Finally, one or more reverse-phase highperformance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) steps employing hydrophobicRP-HPLC media, e.g., silica gel having pendant methyl or other aliphaticgroups, can be employed to further purify the GITRL protein. Affinitycolumns including antibodies to the GITRL protein can also be used inpurification in accordance with known methods. Some or all of theforegoing purification steps, in various combinations or with otherknown methods, can also be employed to provide a substantially purifiedisolated recombinant protein. Preferably, the isolated GITRL protein ispurified so that it is substantially free of other mammalian proteins.

Alternatively, GITR agonists, e.g., GITRL protein, active fragmentsand/or fusion protein thereof, may also be recombinantly expressed in aform that facilitates purification. For example, the polypeptides may beexpressed as fusions with proteins such as maltose-binding protein(MBP), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), or thioredoxin (TRX). Kits forexpression and purification of such fusion proteins are commerciallyavailable from New England BioLabs (Beverly, Mass.), Pharmacia(Piscataway, N.J.), and Invitrogen, respectively. GITR agonists, e.g.,GITRL protein, active fragments and/or fusion protein thereof, can alsobe tagged with a small epitope and subsequently identified or purifiedusing a specific antibody to the epitope. A preferred epitope is theFLAG epitope, which is commercially available from Eastman Kodak (NewHaven, Conn.).

GITR agonists, e.g., GITRL protein, active fragments and/or fusionprotein thereof, may also be produced by known conventional chemicalsynthesis. Methods for chemically synthesizing such polypeptides arewell known to those skilled in the art. Such chemically syntheticpolypeptides may possess biological properties in common with thenatural, purified polypeptides, and thus may be employed as biologicallyactive or immunological substitutes for the natural polypeptides.

GITR agonists, e.g., GITRL protein, active fragments and/or fusionprotein thereof, also encompass molecules that are structurallydifferent from the disclosed polypeptides (e.g., which have a slightlyaltered sequence), but which have substantially the same biochemicalproperties as the disclosed polypeptides (e.g., are changed only infunctionally nonessential amino acid residues). Such molecules includenaturally occurring allelic variants and deliberately engineeredvariants containing alterations, substitutions, replacements,insertions, or deletions. Techniques for such alterations,substitutions, replacements, insertions, or deletions are well known tothose skilled in the art. In some embodiments, the GITRL polypeptidemoiety is provided as a variant GITRL polypeptide having mutations inthe naturally occurring GITRL sequence (wild type) that results in aGITRL sequence more resistant to proteolysis (relative to the nonmutatedsequence).

The methods disclosed herein for the generation of GITR agonists, e.g.,GITRL, active fragments thereof and/or fusion proteins thereof, may beused to generate GITR antagonists, especially soluble GITR proteins,active fragments thereof and/or fusion proteins thereof. One of skill inthe art will recognize that to generate GITR antagonists, e.g., solubleGITR, active fragments thereof, and/or fusion proteins thereof, all thatwould be required is the nucleic acid sequence or amino acid sequence ofGITR, both of which are known. Using these sequences, GITR antagonists,e.g., soluble GITR, active fragments thereof, and/or fusion proteinsthereof, may be generated using recombinant DNA techniques and/orchemical synthesis, as described above.

Anti-GITRL Antibodies

In other embodiments, the invention provides GITR antagonists asantibodies, or antigen binding fragments thereof, that specifically bindto GITRL, preferably, mammalian (e.g., murine) GITRL, and neutralizeGITR activity.

One of skill in the art will recognize that as used herein, the term“antibody” refers to a protein comprising at least one, and preferablytwo, heavy (H) chain variable regions (abbreviated herein as VH), and atleast one and preferably two light (L) chain variable regions(abbreviated herein as VL). The VH and VL regions can be furthersubdivided into regions of hypervariability, termed “complementaritydetermining regions” (“CDR”), interspersed with regions that are moreconserved, termed “framework regions” (“FR”). The extent of the FRs andCDRs has been precisely defined (see, Kabat, E. A., et al. (1991)Sequences of Proteins of Immunological Interest, Fifth Edition, U.S.Department of Health and Human Services, NIH Publication No. 91-3242,and Chothia, C. et al. (1987) J. Mol. Biol. 196:901-917, which arehereby incorporated by reference). Each VH and VL is composed of threeCDRs and four FRs, arranged from amino-terminus to carboxy-terminus inthe following order: FR1, CDR1, FR2, CDR2, FR3, CDR3, FR4.

The antibody can further include a heavy and light chain constant regionto thereby form a heavy and light immunoglobulin chain, respectively. Inone embodiment, the antibody is a tetramer of two heavy immunoglobulinchains and two light immunoglobulin chains, wherein the heavy and lightimmunoglobulin chains are inter-connected by, e.g., disulfide bonds. Theheavy chain constant region is comprised of three domains, CH1, CH2 andCH3. The light chain constant region is comprised of one domain, CL. Thevariable region of the heavy and light chains contains a binding domainthat interacts with an antigen. The constant regions of the antibodiestypically mediate the binding of the antibody to host tissues orfactors, including various cells of the immune system (e.g., effectorcells) and the first component (C1q) of the classical complement system.

Immunoglobulin refers to a protein consisting of one or morepolypeptides substantially encoded by immunoglobulin genes. Therecognized human immunoglobulin genes include the kappa, lambda, alpha(IgA1 and IgA2), gamma (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4), delta, epsilon and muconstant region genes, as well as the myriad immunoglobulin variableregion genes. Full-length immunoglobulin “light chains” (about 25 Kd, or214 amino acids) are encoded by a variable region gene at theNH2-terminus (about 110 amino acids) and a kappa or lambda constantregion gene at the COOH-terminus. Full-length immunoglobulin “heavychains” (about 50 Kd, or 446 amino acids), are similarly encoded by avariable region gene (about 116 amino acids) and one of the otheraforementioned constant region genes, e.g., gamma (encoding about 330amino acids). The immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region genesencode for the antibody class, i.e., isotype (e.g., IgM or IgG1). Theantigen binding fragment of an antibody (or simply “antibody portion,”or “fragment”), as used herein, refers to one or more fragments of afull-length antibody that retain the ability to specifically bind to anantigen (e.g., CD3). Examples of binding fragments encompassed withinthe term “antigen binding fragment” of an antibody include (i) a Fabfragment, a monovalent fragment consisting of the VL, VH, CL and CH1domains; (ii) a F(ab′)₂ fragment, a bivalent fragment comprising two Fabfragments linked by a disulfide bridge at the hinge region; (iii) a Fdfragment consisting of the VH and CH1 domains; (iv) a Fv fragmentconsisting of the VL and VH domains of a single arm of an antibody, (v)a dAb fragment (Ward et al., (1989) Nature 341:544-46), which consistsof a VH domain; and (vi) an isolated complementarity determining region(CDR). Furthermore, although the two domains of the Fv fragment, VL andVH, are coded for by separate genes, they can be joined, usingrecombinant methods, by a synthetic linker that enables them to be madeas a single protein chain in which the VL and VH regions pair to formmonovalent molecules (known as single chain Fv (scFv); see e.g., Bird etal. (1988) Science 242:423-26; and Huston et al. (1988) Proc. Natl.Acad. Sci. USA 85:5879-83). Such single chain antibodies are alsointended to be encompassed within the term “antigen binding fragment” ofan antibody. These antibody fragments are obtained using conventionaltechniques known to those skilled in the art, and the fragments arescreened for utility in the same manner as are intact antibodies.

One of skill in the art will recognize that the methods disclosed hereinfor generation of antibody molecules to the polypeptides of the presentinvention, e.g., murine GITRL, may also be used to generate antibodymolecules to other proteins, e.g., GITR or human GITRL. Consequently,the methods for generating antibody molecules apply not only to thepolypeptides of the present invention as disclosed, but also to, forexample, GITR or human GITRL.

Antibody molecules to the polypeptides of the present invention, e.g.,neutralizing antibodies to murine GITRL, including but not limited tomouse GITRL and its homologs, may be useful in preventing or treatingautoimmune disorders, inflammatory diseases, transplant rejections, andsimilar or related disorders. Other antibody molecules e.g., agonisticGITR antibodies, may be useful in the methods of the invention fortreating cancer, infectious diseases, and similar and related disorders.Such antibody molecules may be produced by methods well known to thoseskilled in the art. For example, monoclonal antibodies can be producedby generation of hybridomas in accordance with known methods. Hybridomasformed in this manner are then screened using standard methods, such asenzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), to identify one or morehybridomas that produce an antibody that specifically binds with thepolypeptides of the present invention. For example, GITRL proteins ofthe invention may also be used to immunize animals to obtain polyclonaland monoclonal antibodies that specifically react with the GITRL proteinand which may inhibit binding of ligands to the receptor, i.e., GITR.Similarly, GITR proteins may also be used to obtain polyclonal andmonoclonal antibodies that specifically react with GITR. The peptideimmunogens additionally may contain a cysteine residue at the carboxylterminus, and are conjugated to a hapten such as keyhole limpethemocyanin (KLH). Additional peptide immunogens may be generated byreplacing tyrosine residues with sulfated tyrosine residues. Methods forsynthesizing such peptides are known in the art, for example, as inMerrifield (1963) J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 85:2149-54; Krstenansky et al.(1987) FEBS Lett. 211:10. A full-length polypeptide of the presentinvention may be used as the immunogen, or, alternatively, antigenicpeptide fragments of the polypeptides may be used. An antigenic peptideof a polypeptide of the present invention comprises at least 7continuous amino acid residues and encompasses an epitope such that anantibody raised against the peptide forms a specific immune complex withthe polypeptide. Preferably, the antigenic peptide comprises at least 10amino acid residues, more preferably at least 15 amino acid residues,even more preferably at least 20 amino acid residues, and mostpreferably at least 30 amino acid residues.

Monoclonal antibodies may be generated by other methods known to thoseskilled in the art of recombinant DNA technology. As an alternative topreparing monoclonal antibody-secreting hybridomas, a monoclonalantibody to a polypeptide of the present invention may be identified andisolated by screening a recombinant combinatorial immunoglobulin library(e.g., an antibody phage display library) with a polypeptide of thepresent invention (e.g., GITRL) or with GITR, to thereby isolateimmunoglobulin library members that bind to the polypeptides of thepresent invention, or to GITR, respectively. Techniques and commerciallyavailable kits for generating and screening phage display libraries arewell known to those skilled in the art. Additionally, examples ofmethods and reagents particularly amenable for use in generating andscreening antibody display libraries can be found in the literature. Forexample, the “combinatorial antibody display” method has been developedto identify and isolate antibody fragments having a particular antigenspecificity, and can be utilized to produce monoclonal antibodies (fordescriptions of combinatorial antibody display, see, e.g., Sastry et al.(1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:5728; Huse et al. (1989) Science246:1275; Orlandi et al. 1989 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:3833). Afterimmunizing an animal with an immunogen as described above, the antibodyrepertoire of the resulting B-cell pool is cloned. Methods are generallyknown for obtaining the DNA sequence of the variable regions of adiverse population of immunoglobulin molecules by using a mixture ofoligomer primers and PCR. For instance, mixed oligonucleotide primerscorresponding to the 5′ leader (signal peptide) sequences and/orframework 1 (FR1) sequences, as well as primers to a conserved 3′constant region can be used for PCR amplification of the heavy and lightchain variable regions from a number of murine antibodies (Larrick etal. (1991) Biotechniques 11:152-56). A similar strategy can also beenused to amplify human heavy and light chain variable regions from humanantibodies (Larrick et al. (1991) Methods: Companion to Methods inEnzymology 2:106-10).

Polyclonal sera and antibodies may be produced by immunizing a suitablesubject with a polypeptide of the present invention. The antibody titerin the immunized subject may be monitored over time by standardtechniques, such as with ELISA using immobilized marker protein. Ifdesired, the antibody molecules directed against a polypeptide of thepresent invention may be isolated from the subject or culture media andfurther purified by well-known techniques, such as protein Achromatography, to obtain an IgG fraction.

Fragments of antibodies to the polypeptides of the present invention maybe produced by cleavage of the antibodies in accordance with methodswell known in the art. For example, immunologically active Fab andF(ab′)₂ fragments may be generated by treating the antibodies with anenzyme such as pepsin.

Additionally, chimeric, humanized, and single-chain antibodies to thepolypeptides of the present invention, comprising both human andnonhuman portions, may be produced using standard recombinant DNAtechniques and/or a recombinant combinatorial immunoglobulin library.Humanized antibodies may also be produced using transgenic mice whichare incapable of expressing endogenous immunoglobulin heavy and lightchain genes, but which can express human heavy and light chain genes.For example, human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) directed against GITRLmay be generated using transgenic mice carrying the human immunoglobulingenes rather than murine immunoglobulin genes. Splenocytes from thesetransgenic mice immunized with the antigen of interest may then be usedto produce hybridomas that secrete human mAbs with specific affinitiesfor epitopes from a human protein (see, e.g., Wood et al., WO 91/00906;Kucherlapati et al., WO 91/10741; Lonberg et al. WO 92/03918; Kay etal., WO 92/03917; Lonberg et al. (1994) Nature 368:856-59; Green et al.(1994) Nat. Genet. 7:13-21; Morrison et al. (1994) Proc. Natl. Acad.Sci. USA 81:6851-55; Bruggeman (1993) Year Immunol 7:33-40; Tuaillon etal. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:3720-24; Bruggeman et al.(1991) Eur. J. Immunol. 21:1323-26).

Chimeric antibodies, including chimeric immunoglobulin chains, can beproduced by recombinant DNA techniques known in the art. For example, agene encoding the Fc constant region of a murine (or other species)monoclonal antibody molecule is digested with restriction enzymes toremove the region encoding the murine Fc, and the equivalent portion ofa gene encoding a human Fc constant region is substituted (see Robinsonet al., International Patent Publication PCT/US86/02269; Akira, et al.,European Patent Application 184,187; Taniguchi, European PatentApplication 171,496; Morrison et al., European Patent Application173,494; Neuberger et al., WO 86/01533; Cabilly et al., U.S. Pat. No.4,816,567; Cabilly et al., European Patent Application 125,023; Betteret al. (1988) Science 240:1041-43; Liu et al. (1987) Proc. Natl. Acad.Sci. USA 84:3439-43; Liu et al. (1987) J. Immunol. 139:3521-26; Sun etal. (1987) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84:214-18; Nishimura et al. (1987)Cancer Res. 47:999-1005; Wood et al. (1985) Nature 314:446-49; and Shawet al. (1988) J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 80:1553-59).

An antibody or an immunoglobulin chain may be humanized by methods knownin the art. Humanized antibodies, including humanized immunoglobulinchains, may be generated by replacing sequences of the Fv variableregion that are not directly involved in antigen binding with equivalentsequences from human Fv variable regions. General methods for generatinghumanized antibodies are provided by Morrison (1985) Science229:1202-07; Oi et al. (1986) BioTechniques 4:214; Queen et al., U.S.Pat. Nos. 5,585,089; 5,693,761; 5,693,762, the contents of all of whichare hereby incorporated by reference. Those methods include isolating,manipulating, and expressing the nucleic acid sequences that encode allor part of immunoglobulin Fv variable regions from at least one of aheavy or light chain. Sources of such nucleic acid sequences are wellknown to those skilled in the art and, for example, may be obtained froma hybridoma producing an antibody against a predetermined target. Therecombinant DNA encoding the humanized antibody, or fragment thereof,can then be cloned into an appropriate expression vector.

Humanized or CDR-grafted antibody molecules or immunoglobulins may beproduced by CDR grafting or CDR substitution, wherein one, two, or allCDRs of an immunoglobulin chain can be replaced. See, e.g., U.S. Pat.No. 5,225,539; Jones et al. (1986) Nature 321:552-25; Verhoeyan et al.(1988) Science 239:1534; Beidler et al. (1988) J. Immunol. 141:4053-60;Winter, U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,539, the contents of all of which are herebyincorporated by reference. Winter describes a CDR-grafting method thatmay be used to prepare the humanized antibodies of the present invention(UK Patent Application GB 2188638A; Winter, U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,539),the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. All of theCDRs of a particular human antibody may be replaced with at least aportion of a nonhuman CDR, or only some of the CDRs may be replaced withnonhuman CDRs. It is only necessary to replace the number of CDRsrequired for binding of the humanized antibody to a predeterminedantigen.

Monoclonal, chimeric and humanized antibodies that have been modifiedby, e.g., deleting, adding, or substituting other portions of theantibody, e.g., the constant region, are also within the scope of theinvention. For example, an antibody can be modified as follows: (i) bydeleting the constant region; (ii) by replacing the constant region withanother constant region, e.g., a constant region meant to increasehalf-life, stability, or affinity of the antibody, or a constant regionfrom another species or antibody class; or (iii) by modifying one ormore amino acids in the constant region to alter, for example, thenumber of glycosylation sites, effector cell function, Fc receptor (FcR)binding, complement fixation, etc.

Methods for altering an antibody constant region are known in the art.Antibodies with altered function, e.g. altered affinity for an effectorligand, such as FcR on a cell, or the C1 component of complement, can beproduced by replacing at least one amino acid residue in the constantportion of the antibody with a different residue (see, e.g., EP 388,151A1, U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,821 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,260, the contents ofall of which are hereby incorporated by reference). Similar types ofalterations to the murine (or other species') immunoglobulin may beapplied to reduce or eliminate these functions. Such alterations areknown in the art.

For example, it is possible to alter the affinity of an Fc region of anantibody (e.g., an IgG, such as a human IgG) for an FcR (e.g., Fc gammaR1), or for C1q binding by replacing the specified residue(s) with aresidue(s) having an appropriate functionality on its side chain, or byintroducing a charged functional group, such as glutamate or aspartate,or an aromatic nonpolar residue such as phenylalanine, tyrosine,tryptophan or alanine (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,821).

Anti-GITRL antibodies of the invention may be useful for isolating,purifying, and/or detecting GITRL polypeptides in supernatant, cellularlysate, or on the cell surface. Antibodies disclosed in this inventioncan be also used diagnostically to monitor GITRL protein levels as partof a clinical testing procedure, or clinically to target a therapeuticmodulator to a cell or tissue comprising the antigen of the GITRLantibody. For example, a therapeutic such as a small molecule, or othertherapeutic of the invention can be linked to the GITRL antibody inorder to target the therapeutic to the cell or tissue expressing GITRL.Neutralizing or nonneutralizing antibodies (preferably monoclonalantibodies) binding to GITRL protein may also be useful in the treatmentof conditions involving disregulation of the immune system, e.g.,autoimmune diseases. These neutralizing monoclonal antibodies may becapable of blocking GITRL binding to GITR. The present invention furtherprovides compositions comprising an antibody that specifically reactswith GITRL. Similarly, anti-GITR antibodies may be useful in isolating,purifying and/or detecting GITR, diagnostically monitoring GITR levels,or clinically targeting a therapeutic modulator to a cell or tissuecomprising GITR. Agonistic antibodies to GITR (preferably monoclonalantibodies) may also be useful in the treatment of conditions involvingdisregulation of the immune system e.g., cancer or infectious diseases.These agonistic antibodies may be capable of inducing GITR activity.Thus the present invention further provides compositions comprising anantibody to GITR.

GITRL Screening Assays

The polynucleotides and polypeptides of the present invention may beused in screening assays to identify pharmacological agents or leadcompounds for agents that are capable of modulating the activity ofGITRL, and thereby GITR, in a cell or organism, and are therebypotential regulators of immune responses. For example, samplescontaining GITRL (either natural or recombinant) can be contacted withone of a plurality of test compounds (either biological agents or smallorganic molecules), and the activity of GITRL in each of the treatedsamples can be compared with the activity of GITRL in untreated samplesor in samples contacted with different test compounds. Such comparisonswill determine whether any of the test compounds results in: 1) asubstantially decreased level of expression or activity of GITRL,thereby indicating an inhibitor of GITRL (e.g., a compound that restoresor enhances immune suppression), or 2) a substantially increased levelof expression or activity of GITRL, thereby indicating an activator ofGITRL (e.g., a compound that reverses immune suppression). In oneembodiment, the identification of test compounds capable of modulatingGITRL activity is performed using high-throughput screening assays, suchas BIACORE® (Biacore International AB, Uppsala, Sweden), BRET(bioluminescence resonance energy transfer), and FRET (fluorescenceresonance energy transfer) assays, as well as ELISA and cell-basedassays.

Small Molecules

Decreased GITR activity in an organism (or subject) afflicted with (orat risk for) autoimmune disorders, inflammatory diseases, or transplantrejection, or in a cell from such an organism (or subject) involved insuch disorders, may also be achieved through the use of small molecules(usually organic small molecules) that antagonize, i.e., inhibit theactivity of, GITR. Novel antagonistic small molecules may be identifiedby the screening methods described above and may be used in thetreatment methods of the present invention described below. Conversely,increased GITR activity in an organism (or subject) afflicted with (orat risk for) cancer or infectious disease, or in a cell from such anorganism (or subject) involved in such disorders, may also be achievedthrough the use of small molecules (usually organic small molecules)that agonize, i.e., enhance the activity of, GITR. Novel agonistic smallmolecules may be identified by the screening methods described above andmay be used in the methods of treating cancer and/or infectious diseaseas described below.

Methods for Diagnosing, Prognosing, and Monitoring the Progress ofAutoimmune Disorders and Cancers

It is well known in the art that immunological mechanisms studied inanimal models, particularly murine models, may be and often are,translatable to the human immune system. As such, although the Examplesdisclosed herein demonstrate the role of GITR in immune suppression byCD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory cells in a murine model, the disclosed methods fordiagnosing, prognosing, and monitoring disorders related todisregulation of the immune system, e.g., autoimmune disorders,inflammatory disorders and transplant rejection, and cancer andinfectious disease, will be particularly useful for diagnosing,prognosing and monitoring such disorders in humans. In practicing thedisclosed methods, a skilled artisan will recognize that the humanhomologs of GITR and GITRL, as well as human GITR agonists andantagonists, may be used in the claimed methods of diagnosing,prognosing, and monitoring such disorders in humans.

The present invention provides methods for diagnosing, prognosing, andmonitoring the progress of autoimmune disorders in a subject (e.g., thatdirectly or indirectly involve increases in the levels of GITRL) bydetecting an upregulation of GITR activity, e.g., by detecting theupregulation of GITRL, including but not limited to the use of suchmethods in human subjects. One of skill in the art will recognize thatthese methods can apply to inflammatory diseases and transplantrejection as well. These methods may be performed by utilizingprepackaged diagnostic kits comprising at least one of the groupcomprising GITRL polynucleotide or fragments thereof, GITRL polypeptideor portions thereof (including fusion proteins thereof), or antibodiesto GITRL polypeptides or derivatives thereof, or modulators of GITRLpolynucleotides and/or polypeptides as described herein, which may beconveniently used, for example, in a clinical setting. In addition, oneof skill in the art would recognize that the upregulation of GITRL couldalso be detected by indirect methods, such as counting the number ofimmune cells.

“Diagnostic” or “diagnosing” means identifying the presence or absenceof a pathologic condition. Diagnostic methods include detectingupregulation of GITRL by determining a test amount of GITRL gene product(e.g., mRNA, cDNA, or polypeptide, including fragments thereof) in abiological sample from a subject (human or nonhuman mammal), andcomparing the test amount with a normal amount or range (i.e., an amountor range from an individual(s) known not to suffer from autoimmunedisorders) for the GITRL gene product. Although a particular diagnosticmethod may not provide a definitive diagnosis of autoimmune disorders,it suffices if the method provides a positive indication that aids indiagnosis.

The present invention also provides methods for prognosing suchautoimmune disorders by detecting the upregulation of GITR activity,e.g., by detecting upregulation of GITRL. “Prognostic” or “prognosing”means predicting the probable development and/or severity of apathologic condition. Prognostic methods include determining the testamount of a GITRL gene product in a biological sample from a subject,and comparing the test amount to a prognostic amount or range (i.e., anamount or range from individuals with varying severities of autoimmunedisorders) for the GITRL gene product. Various amounts of the GITRL geneproduct in a test sample are consistent with certain prognoses forautoimmune disorders. The detection of an amount of GITRL gene productat a particular prognostic level provides a prognosis for the subject.

The present invention also provides methods for monitoring the progressor course of such autoimmune disorders by detecting the upregulation ofGITR activity, e.g., by detecting upregulation of GITRL. Monitoringmethods include determining the test amounts of a GITRL gene product inbiological samples taken from a subject at a first and second time, andcomparing the amounts. A change in amount of GITRL gene product betweenthe first and second times indicates a change in the course ofautoimmune disorders, with a decrease in amount indicating remission ofautoimmune disorders, and an increase in amount indicating progressionof autoimmune disorders. Such monitoring assays are also useful forevaluating the efficacy of a particular therapeutic intervention inpatients being treated for autoimmune disorders.

Increased expression of GITRL in methods outlined above can be detectedin a variety of biological samples, including bodily fluids (e.g., wholeblood, plasma, and urine), cells (e.g., whole cells, cell fractions, andcell extracts), and tissues. Biological samples also include sections oftissue, such as biopsies and frozen sections taken for histologicalpurposes. Preferred biological samples include blood, plasma, lymph,tissue biopsies, urine, CSF (cerebrospinal fluid), synovial fluid, andBAL (bronchoalveolar lavage). It will be appreciated that analysis of abiological sample need not necessarily require removal of cells ortissue from the subject. For example, appropriately labeled agents thatbind GITRL gene products (e.g., antibodies, nucleic acids) can beadministered to a subject and visualized (when bound to the target)using standard imaging technology (e.g., CAT, NMR (MRI), and PET).

In the diagnostic and prognostic assays of the present invention, theGITRL gene product is detected and quantified to yield a test amount.The test amount is then compared with a normal amount or range. Anamount significantly above the normal amount or range is a positive signin the diagnosis of autoimmune disorders. Particular methods ofdetection and quantitation of GITRL gene products are described below.

Normal amounts or baseline levels of GITRL gene products can bedetermined for any particular sample type and population. Generally,baseline (normal) levels of GITRL protein or mRNA are determined bymeasuring the amount of GITRL protein or mRNA in a biological sampletype from normal (i.e., healthy) subjects. Alternatively, normal valuesof GITRL gene product can be determined by measuring the amount inhealthy cells or tissues taken from the same subject from which thediseased (or possibly diseased) test cells or tissues were taken. Theamount of GITRL gene product (either the normal amount or the testamount) can be determined or expressed on a per cell, per total protein,or per volume basis. To determine the cell amount of a sample, one canmeasure the level of a constitutively expressed gene product or othergene product expressed at known levels in cells of the type from whichthe biological sample was taken.

It will be appreciated that the assay methods of the present inventiondo not necessarily require measurement of absolute values of GITRL geneproduct because relative values are sufficient for many applications ofthese methods. It will also be appreciated that in addition to thequantity or abundance of GITRL gene products, variant or abnormal GITRLgene products or their expression patterns (e.g., mutated transcripts,truncated polypeptides) may be identified by comparison to normal geneproducts and expression patterns.

The diagnostic, prognostic, and monitoring assays of the presentinvention involve detecting and quantifying GITRL gene products inbiological samples. GITRL gene products include GITRL mRNA and GITRLpolypeptide, and both can be measured using methods well known to thoseskilled in the art.

For example, GITRL mRNA can be directly detected and quantified usinghybridization-based assays, such as Northern hybridization, in situhybridization, dot and slot blots, and oligonucleotide arrays.Hybridization-based assays refer to assays in which a probe nucleic acidis hybridized to a target nucleic acid. In some formats, the target, theprobe, or both are immobilized. The immobilized nucleic acid may be DNA,RNA, or another oligonucleotide or polynucleotide, and may comprisenaturally or nonnaturally occurring nucleotides, nucleotide analogs, orbackbones. Methods of selecting nucleic acid probe sequences for use inthe present invention are based on the nucleic acid sequence of GITRLand are well known in the art.

Alternatively, GITRL mRNA can be amplified before detection andquantitation. Such amplification-based assays are well known in the artand include polymerase chain reaction (PCR), reverse-transcription-PCR(RT-PCR), PCR-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (PCR-ELISA), and ligasechain reaction (LCR). Primers and probes for producing and detectingamplified GITRL gene products (e.g., mRNA or cDNA) may be readilydesigned and produced without undue experimentation by those of skill inthe art based on the nucleic acid sequence of GITRL. Amplified GITRLgene products may be directly analyzed, for example, by gelelectrophoresis; by hybridization to a probe nucleic acid; bysequencing; by detection of a fluorescent, phosphorescent, orradioactive signal; or by any of a variety of well-known methods. Inaddition, methods are known to those of skill in the art for increasingthe signal produced by amplification of target nucleic acid sequences.One of skill in the art will recognize that whichever amplificationmethod is used, a variety of quantitative methods known in the art(e.g., quantitative PCR) may be used if quantitation of GITRL geneproducts is desired.

GITRL polypeptide (or fragments thereof) can be detected using variouswell-known immunological assays employing the anti-GITRL antibodiesdescribed above. Immunological assays refer to assays that utilize anantibody (e.g., polyclonal, monoclonal, chimeric, humanized, scFv, andfragments thereof) that specifically binds to GITRL polypeptide (or afragment thereof). Such well-known immunological assays suitable for thepractice of the present invention include ELISA, radioimmunoassay (RIA),immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, fluorescence-activated cellsorting (FACS), and Western blotting. GITRL polypeptide can also bedetected using labeled GITR.

One of skill in the art will understand that the aforementioned methodscan be applied to autoimmune disorders and other disorders (such asinflammatory diseases), including, but not limited to, rheumatoidarthritis, osteoarthritis, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune gastritis,systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis and other inflammatorydermatoses, type I diabetes, asthma, allergy, and inflammatory boweldiseases, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

One of skill in the art will also recognize that the aforementionedmethods or variations thereupon can also be used for diagnosing,prognosing, and monitoring the progress of various cancers andinfectious diseases in a subject (e.g., that directly or indirectlyinvolve decreases in the levels of GITRL) by detecting a downregulationof GITR activity, e.g., by detecting the downregulation of GITRL,including but not limited to the use of such methods in human subjects.

Uses of GITRL and Related Molecules in Therapy

Applicants believe they are the first to recognize that binding of GITRon effector T cells by GITRL, or other GITR agonists, provides acostimulatory signal to effector T cells, wherein such signal rendersthe effector T cells less susceptible to suppression by CD4⁺CD25⁺regulatory T cells and increases the ability of effector T cells toproliferate in response to anti-CD3 or other activating signals.Although the murine model was used to uncover the mechanism, it is wellknown in the art that immunological mechanisms studied in murine models,may be and often are, translatable to the human immune system. As such,the disclosed methods for using GITRL and related molecules, i.e., GITRagonists or GITR antagonists, to treat disorders related to thedisregulation of the of the immune system, e.g., autoimmune disorders,inflammatory disorders and transplant rejection, and cancer andinfectious disease, will be particularly useful for treating suchdisorders in humans. In practicing the disclosed methods, a skilledartisan will recognize that the human homologs of GITR and GITRL, aswell as human GITR agonists and antagonists, may be used in the claimedmethods of using GITRL and GITRL-related proteins, i.e., GITR agonistsand antagonists, in treating autoimmune disorders, inflammatorydisorders and transplant rejection, and cancer and infectious diseasesin humans.

The GITRL-related molecules disclosed herein, i.e., GITR agonists andantagonists, including modulators of GITRL polynucleotide and/orpolypeptide activity identified using the methods described above, canbe used in vitro, ex vivo, or incorporated into pharmaceuticalcompositions and administered to individuals in vivo to treat, forexample, autoimmune disorders by administration of a GITR antagonist(e.g., GITRL inhibitory polynucleotides, antagonistic small molecules,neutralizing anti-GITR antibodies, and/or neutralizing anti-GITRLantibodies), or, e.g., cancers by administration of a GITR agonist(e.g., GITRL polynucleotides, GITRL polypeptides, or fusion proteinsthereof, agonistic small molecules and/or agonistic anti-GITRantibodies). Such GITRL and/or related molecules (including modulators)include, but are not limited to, mouse GITRL and its homologs (andantibodies to such molecules), and such homologs include, but are notlimited to, human GITRL. Several pharmacogenomic approaches to beconsidered in determining whether to administer GITRL and/or GITRLrelated molecules are well known to one of skill in the art and includegenome-wide association, candidate gene approach, and gene expressionprofiling. A pharmaceutical composition of the invention is formulatedto be compatible with its intended route of administration (e.g., oralcompositions generally include an inert diluent or an edible carrier).Other nonlimiting examples of routes of administration includeparenteral (e.g., intravenous), intradermal, subcutaneous, oral (e.g.,inhalation), transdermal (topical), transmucosal, and rectaladministration. The pharmaceutical compositions compatible with eachintended route are well known in the art.

GITR agonists or antagonists may be used as pharmaceutical compositionswhen combined with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Such acomposition may contain, in addition to the GITR agonists or antagonistsand carrier, various diluents, fillers, salts, buffers, stabilizers,solubilizers, and other materials well known in the art. The term“pharmaceutically acceptable” means a nontoxic material that does notinterfere with the effectiveness of the biological activity of theactive ingredient(s). The characteristics of the carrier will depend onthe route of administration.

The pharmaceutical composition of the invention may also containcytokines, lymphokines, or other hematopoietic factors such as M-CSF,GM-CSF, IL-1, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, IL-10,IL-11, IL-12, IL-14, IL-15, G-CSF, stem cell factor, and erythropoietin.The pharmaceutical composition may also include anticytokine antibodiesas described in more detail below. The pharmaceutical composition maycontain thrombolytic or antithrombotic factors such as plasminogenactivator and Factor VIII. The pharmaceutical composition may furthercontain other anti-inflammatory agents as described in more detailbelow. Such additional factors and/or agents may be included in thepharmaceutical composition to produce a synergistic effect with GITRagonists or antagonists, or to minimize side effects caused by the GITRagonists or antagonists. Conversely GITR agonists or antagonists may beincluded in formulations of the particular cytokine, lymphokine, otherhematopoietic factor, thrombolytic or antithrombotic factor, oranti-inflammatory agent to minimize side effects of the cytokine,lymphokine, other hematopoietic factor, thrombolytic or antithromboticfactor, or anti-inflammatory agent.

The pharmaceutical composition of the invention may be in the form of aliposome in which GITR agonists or antagonists are combined, in additionto other pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, with amphipathic agentssuch as lipids that exist in aggregated form as micelles, insolublemonolayers, liquid crystals, or lamellar layers in aqueous solution.Suitable lipids for liposomal formulation include, without limitation,monoglycerides, diglycerides, sulfatides, lysolecithin, phospholipids,saponin, bile acids, etc. Preparation of such liposomal formulations iswithin the level of skill in the art, as disclosed, for example, in U.S.Pat. No. 4,235,871; U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,728; U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,028;and U.S. Pat. No. 4,737,323, all of which are hereby incorporated byreference.

As used herein, the term “therapeutically effective amount” means thetotal amount of each active component of the pharmaceutical compositionor method that is sufficient to show a meaningful patient benefit, e.g.,amelioration of symptoms of, healing of, or increase in rate of healingof such conditions. When applied to an individual active ingredient,administered alone, the term refers to that ingredient alone. Whenapplied to a combination, the term refers to combined amounts of theactive ingredients that result in the therapeutic effect, whetheradministered in combination, serially or simultaneously.

In practicing the method of treatment or use of the present invention, atherapeutically effective amount of a GITR agonist (e.g., a GITRLpolynucleotide or GITRL polypeptide expressed therefrom) or a GITRantagonist (e.g., a neutralizing anti-GITRL antibody or a neutralizinganti-GITR antibody) is administered to a subject, e.g., a mammal (e.g.,a human). A GITR agonist or antagonist may be administered in accordancewith the method of the invention either alone or in combination withother therapies, such as treatments employing cytokines, lymphokines orother hematopoietic factors, or anti-inflammatory agents. Whencoadministered with one or more agents, GITR agonists or antagonists maybe administered either simultaneously with the second agent, orsequentially. If administered sequentially, the attending physician willdecide on the appropriate sequence of administering, e.g., a GITRLpolypeptide (or fusion protein thereof) or neutralizing anti-GITRLantibody in combination with other agents.

When a therapeutically effective amount of a GITR agonist or antagonistis administered orally, the binding agent will be in the form of atablet, capsule, powder, solution or elixir. When administered in tabletform, the pharmaceutical composition of the invention may additionallycontain a solid carrier such as a gelatin or an adjuvant. The tablet,capsule, and powder contain from about 5 to 95% binding agent, andpreferably from about 25 to 90% binding agent. When administered inliquid form, a liquid carrier such as water, petroleum, oils of animalor plant origin such as peanut oil, mineral oil, soybean oil, or sesameoil, or synthetic oils may be added. The liquid form of thepharmaceutical composition may further contain physiological salinesolution, dextrose or other saccharide solution, or glycols such asethylene glycol, propylene glycol, or polyethylene glycol. Whenadministered in liquid form, the pharmaceutical composition containsfrom about 0.5 to 90% by weight of the binding agent, and preferablyfrom about 1 to 50% by weight of the binding agent.

When a therapeutically effective amount of a GITR agonist or antagonistis administered by intravenous, cutaneous or subcutaneous injection, theGITR agonist or antagonist will be in the form of a pyrogen-free,parenterally acceptable aqueous solution. The preparation of suchparenterally acceptable protein solutions, having due regard to pH,isotonicity, stability, and the like, is within the skill of those inthe art. A preferred pharmaceutical composition for intravenous,cutaneous, or subcutaneous injection should contain, in addition to theGITR agonist or antagonist, an isotonic vehicle such as Sodium ChlorideInjection, Ringer's Injection, Dextrose Injection, Dextrose and SodiumChloride Injection, Lactated Ringer's Injection, or other vehicle asknown in the art. The pharmaceutical composition of the presentinvention may also contain stabilizers, preservatives, buffers,antioxidants, or other additive known to those of skill in the art.

The amount of a GITR agonist or antagonist in the pharmaceuticalcomposition of the present invention will depend upon the nature andseverity of the condition being treated, and on the nature of priortreatments that the patient has undergone. Ultimately, the attendingphysician will decide the amount of GITR agonist or antagonist withwhich to treat each individual patient. Initially, the attendingphysician will administer low doses of GITR agonist or antagonist andobserve the patient's response. Larger doses of GITR agonist orantagonist may be administered until the optimal therapeutic effect isobtained for the patient, and at that point the dosage is not generallyincreased further. It is contemplated that the various pharmaceuticalcompositions used to practice the method of the present invention shouldcontain about 0.1 μg to about 100 mg of e.g., GITRL polypeptide orneutralizing anti-GITRL antibody per kg body weight.

The duration of intravenous (i.v.) therapy using a pharmaceuticalcomposition of the present invention will vary, depending on theseverity of the disease being treated and the condition and potentialidiosyncratic response of each individual patient. It is contemplatedthat the duration of each application of the GITR agonist or antagonistmay be in the range of 12 to 24 hours of continuous i.v. administration.Also contemplated is subcutaneous (s.c.) therapy using a pharmaceuticalcomposition of the present invention. These therapies can beadministered daily, weekly, or, more preferably, biweekly, or monthly.It is also contemplated that where the GITR agonist or antagonist is asmall molecule, the therapies may be administered daily, twice a day,three times a day, etc. Ultimately the attending physician will decideon the appropriate duration of i.v. or s.c. therapy, or therapy with asmall molecule, and the timing of administration of the therapy, usingthe pharmaceutical composition of the present invention.

The polynucleotides and proteins of the present invention are expectedto exhibit one or more of the uses or biological activities (includingthose associated with assays cited herein) identified below. Uses oractivities described for proteins of the present invention may beprovided by administration or use of such proteins or by administrationor use of polynucleotides encoding such proteins (such as, for example,in gene therapies or vectors suitable for introduction of DNA).

Uses of GITRL and Other GITR Agonists to Enhance an Immune Response

In one aspect, the present invention provides methods for increasingimmune cell, e.g., T cell (e.g., an effector T cell) proliferation bycontacting an immune cell or a population of immune cells with a GITRagonist, e.g., a GITRL polynucleotide or polypeptide of the invention(e.g., a fusion protein thereof) and/or an agonistic anti-GITR antibody,which potentiates or enhances the activity of GITR. These methods arebased, at least in part, on the finding that an agonistic anti-GITRantibody reversed CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cell-mediated suppression of CD4⁺CD25⁻ Tcell proliferation (Example 5). The methods are also based, in part, onthe finding that GITR binding by, e.g., GITRL or an agonistic anti-GITRantibody, induces proliferation of effector T cells (e.g., CD4⁺CD25⁻ andCD8⁺ T cells) (Example 9 and Example 13). Applicants also showed thatGITR binding by GITRL provides a costimulatory signal to effector Tcells (e.g., CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells), thereby increasing the abilities ofeffector T cells to overcome suppression mediated by CD4⁺CD25⁺regulatory T cells and proliferate in response to anti-CD3 (Examples 11and 13); i.e., binding of GITR expressed on effector T cells by GITRagonists (e.g., GITRL polypeptide, active fragments thereof, and/oragonistic anti-GITR antibody) renders effector T cells less susceptibleto suppression by CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T cells. Accordingly, GITRagonists that stimulate the GITR activity in effector T cells can beused by themselves or in combination with an antigen, e.g., as anadjuvant (e.g., a vaccine adjuvant), to upregulate an immune response invivo, e.g., for use in treating cancer and infectious disorders.

In one embodiment, GITR agonists (e.g., GITRL polynucleotides,polypeptides, active fragments and/or fusion proteins thereof, agonisticsmall molecules and/or agonistic anti-GITR antibodies) may be useful inthe treatment of various immune deficiencies and disorders (includingsevere combined immunodeficiency (SCID)), e.g., in upregulating growthand proliferation of T cells. These immune deficiencies may be geneticor be caused by viral (e.g., HIV) as well as bacterial or fungalinfections, or may result from autoimmune disorders. More specifically,infectious diseases causes by viral, bacterial, fungal or otherinfection may be treatable using a protein of the present invention,including infections by HIV, hepatitis viruses, herpesviruses,mycobacteria, Leishmania spp., malaria spp. and various fungalinfections such as candidiasis. Of course, in this regard, a protein ofthe present invention may also be useful where a boost to the immunesystem generally may be desirable, i.e., in the treatment of cancer.

Upregulation of antigen presenting cell (APC) antigens (e.g.,upregulation of B7.1, B7.2, and B7.3), as a means of upregulating immuneresponses, may also be useful in therapy. Upregulation of immuneresponses may be in the form of enhancing an existing immune response oreliciting an initial immune response. For example, enhancing an immuneresponse through stimulating dendritic cell antigen presenting functionsmay be useful in cases of viral infection. In addition, systemic viraldiseases such as influenza, the common cold, and encephalitis might bealleviated by the administration of stimulatory forms antigen presentingmolecules, e.g., dendritic cell antigens, systemically.

Alternatively, antiviral immune responses may be enhanced in an infectedpatient by removing T cells from the patient, costimulating the T cellsex vivo with viral antigen-pulsed professional APCs (e.g., B cells,macrophages and/or dendritic cells) and GITR agonists (e.g., GITRLpolynucleotides, polypeptides, active fragments and/or fusion proteinsthereof, agonistic small molecules and/or agonistic anti-GITRantibodies). GITR agonists (e.g., GITRL polynucleotides, polypeptides,active fragments and/or fusion proteins thereof, and/or agonisticanti-GITR antibodies) may be supplied either as soluble protein or asexpressed by the APCs. Another method of enhancing antiviral immuneresponses would be to isolate infected cells from a patient, transfectthem with a nucleic acid encoding a GITRL protein of the presentinvention as described herein, such that the cells express all or aportion of the protein on their surface, and reintroduce the transfectedcells into the patient. The infected cells would now be capable ofdelivering a costimulatory signal to effector T cells in vivo, i.e.,expression of GITRL protein, or an active fragment thereof, by theinfected cell, and binding of such GITRL protein to GITR on effector Tcells could render the effector T cells less susceptible to suppressionby CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T cells.

In another application, upregulation or enhancement of an APC antigenfunction may be useful in the induction of tumor immunity. Tumor cells(e.g., sarcoma, melanoma, lymphoma, leukemia, neuroblastoma, andcarcinoma) transfected with a nucleic acid encoding at least one peptideof the present invention can be administered to a subject to overcometumor-specific tolerance in the subject. If desired, the tumor cell canbe transfected to express a combination of peptides. For example, tumorcells obtained from a patient can be transfected ex vivo with anexpression vector directing the expression of a GITR agonist (e.g., GITRpolypeptides, active fragments and/or fusion proteins thereof, and/oragonistic anti-GITR antibodies), alone or in combination with a peptidehaving B7.2-like activity alone, or in conjunction with a peptide havingB7.1-like activity, etc. The transfected tumor cells are returned to thepatient to result in expression of the peptides on the surface of thetransfected cell. Alternatively, gene therapy techniques can be used totarget a tumor cell for transfection in vivo.

The presence of a GITR agonist (e.g., a GITRL polypeptide, activefragments and/or fusion proteins thereof, an agonistic small moleculeand/or an agonistic anti-GITR antibody), in combination with a peptidehaving the activity of an APC antigen (e.g., B7.1, B7.2, etc) on thesurface of the tumor cell provides the necessary costimulatory signalsto T cells to induce a T cell-mediated immune response against thetransfected tumor cells. In addition, tumor cells which lack MHC class Ior MHC class II molecules, or which fail to reexpress sufficient amountsof MHC class I or MHC class II molecules, can be transfected withnucleic acids encoding all or a portion (e.g., a cytoplasmic-domaintruncated portion) of an MHC class I cc chain protein and β₂microglobulin protein or an MHC class II cc chain protein and an MHCclass II β chain protein (or corresponding human HLA nucleic acids) tothereby express MHC class I or MHC class II proteins (or correspondingHLA molecules) on the cell surface. Expression of the appropriate classI or class II MHC in conjunction with a GITR agonist (e.g., a GITRLpolypeptide, active fragments and/or fusion proteins thereof, and/or anagonistic anti-GITR antibody), and/or a peptide having the activity ofan APC antigen (e.g., B7.1, B7.2, etc.) induces a T cell-mediated immuneresponse against the transfected tumor cell. Optionally, a gene encodingan antisense construct which blocks expression of an MHC classII-associated protein, such as the invariant chain, can also becotransfected with a DNA encoding a GITR agonist (e.g., a GITRLpolypeptide, active fragment thereof, a fusion protein thereof, and/oran agonistic anti-GITR antibody) and/or a peptide having the activity ofan APC antigen to promote presentation of tumor associated antigens andinduce tumor specific immunity. Thus, the induction of a T cell-mediatedimmune response in a human subject may be sufficient to overcometumor-specific tolerance in the subject.

In other embodiments, GITR agonists (e.g., GITRL polypeptides, activefragments and/or fusion proteins thereof, fusion proteins thereof,agonistic small molecules, and/or agonistic anti-GITR antibodies) of theinvention may be used as vaccine adjuvants. Adjuvants are immunemodulating compounds that have the ability to enhance and/or steer thedevelopment and profile of immune responses against various antigensthat are themselves poorly immunogenic. Cytokines and/or lymphokines canbe used as adjuvants. The appropriate selection of adjuvants can inducegood humoral and cellular immune responses that would not develop in theabsence of adjuvant. In particular, adjuvants have significant effectsin enhancing the immune response to subunit and peptide antigens invaccines. Their stimulatory activity is also beneficial to thedevelopment of antigen-specific immune responses directed againstprotein antigens. For a variety of antigens that require strong mucosalresponses, high serum titers, induction of CTL (cytotoxic T lymphocytes)and vigorous cellular responses, adjuvant and cytokine/lymphokinecombinations provide stimuli that are not provided by most antigenpreparations.

As used herein, the phrase “vaccine adjuvant” or “vaccine therapy” isintended to mean the use of a GITR agonist (e.g., a GITRLpolynucleotide, GITRL polypeptide, an active fragment thereof, a fusionprotein thereof, and/or an agonistic anti-GITR antibody), in combinationwith an antigen (e.g., viral, parasitic and bacterial polypeptides,proteins or peptides), or other antigens (e.g., tumor or cancer cellpolypeptides, proteins or peptides) or polynucleotides encoding theantigen to enhance, suppress or otherwise modulate an immune response tothe antigen. For the purpose of this definition, “combination” shallmean use in conjunction with, simultaneous with (combined or uncombined)or sequentially with an antigen.

The term “vaccine adjuvant composition” refers to a vaccine adjuvantthat additionally includes immunologically acceptable diluents orcarriers in a conventional manner to prepare injectable liquid solutionsor suspensions. The vaccine adjuvant composition may additionallyinclude agents that further enhance an immune response elicited by aGITR agonist. For example, the vaccine adjuvant composition mayadditionally include 3-O-deacylated monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL®; CorixaCorporation, Seattle, Wash.) or monophosphoryl lipid A and derivativesand analogs thereof. MPL® can be used in a range of 1-100 μg/dose.

The antigens used for vaccine therapy include proteins, peptides orpolypeptides derived from immunogenic and nonimmunogenic proteins, aswell as any of the following: saccharides, proteins, polynucleotides oroligonucleotides, or other macromolecular components, or fragmentsthereof. As used in this section, a “peptide” comprises a series of atleast six amino acids and contains at least one antigenic determinant,while a “polypeptide” is a longer molecule than a peptide, but does notconstitute a full-length protein. As used herein, a “fragment” comprisesa portion, but less than all of a saccharide, protein, polynucleotidesor oligonucleotide, or other macromolecular components.

As used herein, the term “effective adjuvanting amount” means a dose ofthe combination of adjuvants described herein, which is suitable toelicit an increased immune response in a vertebrate host. The particulardosage will depend in part upon the age, weight and medical condition ofthe host, as well as on the method of administration and the antigen.

The vaccine adjuvant composition of the invention can be administered toa human or nonhuman vertebrate by a variety of routes, including, butnot limited to, intranasal, oral, vaginal, rectal, parenteral,intradermal, transdermal (see, e.g., International application WO98/20734, which is hereby incorporated by reference), intramuscular,intraperitoneal, subcutaneous, intravenous and intraarterial. The amountof the antigen component or components of the antigenic composition willvary depending in part upon the identity of the antigen, as well as uponthe age, weight and medical condition of the subject, as well as on themethod of administration. Again, suitable doses are readily determinedby persons skilled in the art. It is preferable, although not required,that the antigen and the combination of adjuvants be administered at thesame time. The number of doses and the dosage regimen for the antigeniccomposition are also readily determined by persons skilled in the art.In some instances, the adjuvant properties of the combination ofadjuvants may reduce the number of doses needed or the time course ofthe dosage regimen.

The combinations of adjuvants of this invention are suitable for use incombination with wide variety of antigens from a wide variety ofpathogenic microorganisms, including but not limited to those fromviruses, bacteria, fungi or parasitic microorganisms that infect humansand nonhuman vertebrates, or from a cancer cell or tumor cell (e.g.,sarcoma, melanoma, lymphoma, leukemia, neuroblastoma, and carcinoma).The antigen may comprise peptides or polypeptides derived from proteins,as well as fragments of any of the following: saccharides, proteins,polynucleotides or oligonucleotides, cancer or tumor cells, or othermacromolecular components. In some instances, more than one antigen isincluded in the antigenic composition.

Desirable viral vaccines containing the adjuvant combinations of thisinvention include those directed to the prevention and/or treatment ofdisease caused by, without limitation, Human immunodeficiency virus,Simian immunodeficiency virus, Respiratory syncytial virus,Parainfluenza virus types 1-3, Influenza virus, Herpes simplex virus,Human cytomegalovirus, Hepatitis A virus, Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis Cvirus, Human papillomavirus, poliovirus, rotavirus, caliciviruses,Measles virus, Mumps virus, Rubella virus, adenovirus, rabies virus,canine distemper virus, rinderpest virus, coronavirus, parvovirus,infectious rhinotracheitis viruses, feline leukemia virus, felineinfectious peritonitis virus, avian infectious bursal disease virus,Newcastle disease virus, Marek's disease virus, porcine respiratory andreproductive syndrome virus, equine arteritis virus and variousEncephalitis viruses.

Desirable bacterial vaccines containing the adjuvant combinations ofthis invention include those directed to the prevention and/or treatmentof disease caused by, without limitation, Haemophilus influenzae (bothtypable and nontypable), Haemophilus somnus, Moraxella catarrhalis,Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcusagalactiae, Streptococcus faecalis, Helicobacter pylori, Neisseriameningitidis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Chlamydiapneumoniae, Chlamydia psittaci, Bordetella pertussis, Salmonella typhi,Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella choleraesuis, Escherichia coli,Shigella, Vibrio cholerae, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Mycobacteriumtuberculosis, Mycobacterium avium-Mycobacterium intracellular complex,Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridiumtetani, Leptospira interrogans, Borrelia burgdorferi, Pasteurellahaemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae andMycoplasma gallisepticum.

Desirable vaccines against fungal pathogens containing the adjuvantcombinations of this invention include those directed to the preventionand/or treatment of disease caused by, without limitation, Aspergillis,Blastomyces, Candida, Coccidiodes, Cryptococcus and Histoplasma.

Desirable vaccines against parasites containing the adjuvantcombinations of this invention include those directed to the preventionand/or treatment of disease caused by, without limitation, Leishmaniamajor, Ascaris, Trichuris, Giardia, Schistosoma, Cryptosporidium,Trichomonas, Toxoplasma gondii and Pneumocystis carinii.

Desirable vaccines for eliciting a therapeutic or prophylacticanticancer effect in a vertebrate host, which contain the adjuvantcombinations of this invention, include those utilizing a cancer antigenor tumor-associated antigen including, without limitation, prostatespecific antigen (PSA), prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA),carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA), MUC-1, Her2, CA-125, MAGE-3, EGFR,HELP, GCC, CD66-c, prostasin, TMPRSS3, TADG 12 and TADG 15.

In the case of HIV and SIV, the antigenic compositions comprise at leastone protein, polypeptide, peptide or fragment derived from said virus.In some instances, multiple HIV or SIV proteins, polypeptides, peptidesand/or fragments are included in the antigenic composition.

The adjuvant combination formulations of this invention are alsosuitable for inclusion as an adjuvant in polynucleotide vaccines (alsoknown as DNA vaccines). Such vaccines may further include facilitatingagents such as bupivicaine (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,972, which is herebyincorporated by reference).

Methods of 1) stimulating antigen presenting cell function, e.g.,dendritic cell functions; 2) removing T cells from the patient,costimulating them ex vivo, and reintroducing them into the subject; 3)transfecting tumor cells to induce tumor immunity; and 4) using vaccineadjuvants are well known in the art (see, e.g., Cerundolo et al. (2004)Dendritic cells: a journey from laboratory to clinic. Nat. Immunol.5(1):7-10; Ko et al. (2003) Immunotherapy of malignant diseases. Int.Arch. Allergy Immunol. 132:294-309; Valmori et al. (1999) Anantigen-targeted approach to adoptive transfer therapy of cancer. CancerRes. 59:2167-73).

Uses of GITR Antagonists to Decrease Immune Cell Activity

In yet another aspect, the invention features a method for maintainingthe susceptibility of effector T cells, e.g., CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells, ora population thereof, to suppression by CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T cells.The method may comprise contacting a population of T cells with a GITRantagonist (e.g., GITRL inhibitory polynucleotides, an antagonisticsmall molecule, a neutralizing anti-GITR antibody, and/or a neutralizinganti-GITRL antibody) in an amount sufficient to inhibit the activity ofthe immune cell or population. Antagonists of GITR may also beadministered to subjects for whom suppression of an immune response isdesired. These conditions include, e.g., autoimmune disorders (e.g.,arthritic disorders), inflammatory diseases, or organ transplantation.

These methods are based, at least in part, on the finding that reductionof GITR activity, e.g., by using a neutralizing anti-GITRL antibody,restores CD4⁺CD25⁺-mediated suppression (Example 13), i.e., neutralizinganti-GITRL antibody maintains the susceptibility of effector T cells,e.g., CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells, to suppression by CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory Tcell. Additionally, applicants have demonstrated that incubation ofeffector T cells with neutralizing anti-GITRL antibody amelioratesdisease in murine experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE) (Example14). Accordingly, GITR antagonists, i.e., molecules that inhibit GITRactivity (e.g., anti-GITRL antibodies) may be used to maintain thesusceptibility of effector T cells to suppression by CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cellsin vivo, e.g., for treating or preventing immune cell-associatedpathologies, including transplant rejection, inflammatory diseases, andautoimmune disorders.

The methods of using GITR antagonists may also be used inhibit theactivity (e.g., proliferation, differentiation, survival) of an effectorT cell, and thus, can be used to treat or prevent a variety of immunedisorders. Nonlimiting examples of the disorders that can be treated orprevented include, but are not limited to, transplant rejection,autoimmune diseases (including, for example, diabetes mellitus,arthritis (including rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoidarthritis, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis), multiple sclerosis,encephalomyelitis, myasthenia gravis, systemic lupus erythematosis,autoimmune thyroiditis, dermatitis (including atopic dermatitis andeczematous dermatitis), psoriasis, Sjögren's Syndrome, Crohn's disease,aphthous ulcer, iritis, conjunctivitis, keratoconjunctivitis, ulcerativecolitis, spondyoarthropathy, ankylosing spondylitis, intrinsic asthma,allergic asthma, cutaneous lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, vaginitis,proctitis, drug eruptions, leprosy reversal reactions, erythema nodosumleprosum, autoimmune uveitis, allergic encephalomyelitis, acutenecrotizing hemorrhagic encephalopathy, idiopathic bilateral progressivesensorineural hearing loss, aplastic anemia, pure red cell anemia,idiopathic thrombocytopenia, polychondritis, Wegener's granulomatosis,chronic active hepatitis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, idiopathic sprue,lichen planus, Graves' disease, sarcoidosis, primary biliary cirrhosis,uveitis posterior, and interstitial lung fibrosis), graft-versus-hostdisease, and allergy such as, atopic allergy. Preferred disorders thatcan be treated using methods which comprise the administration of GITRantagonists, e.g., a neutralizing GITRL antibody, include arthriticdisorders (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis,osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis(preferably, rheumatoid arthritis)), multiple sclerosis, type Idiabetes, lupus (SLE), IBD, Crohn's disease, asthma, vasculitis,allergy, scleroderma and psoriasis.

In another embodiment, GITR antagonists, alone or in combination with,other therapeutic agents as described herein (e.g., TNF antagonists) canbe used to treat multiple myeloma and related B lymphocytic malignancies(Brenne, A. et al. (2002) Blood 99(10):3756-62).

Using GITR antagonists (e.g., GITRL inhibitory polynucleotides,antagonistic small molecules, and/or neutralizing antibodies to GITRand/or GITRL), it is possible to modulate immune responses in a numberof ways. Downregulation may be in the form of inhibiting or blocking animmune response already in progress, or may involve preventing theinduction of an immune response. The functions of activated T cells maybe inhibited by enhancing the suppression of T cell responses, or byinducing specific tolerance in T cells, or both. Immunosuppression of Tcell responses is generally an active, non-antigen-specific, processthat requires continuous exposure of the T cells to the suppressiveagent. Tolerance, which involves inducing nonresponsiveness or anergy inT cells, is distinguishable from immunosuppression in that it isgenerally antigen-specific and persists after exposure to the tolerizingagent has ceased. Operationally, tolerance can be demonstrated by thelack of a T cell response upon reexposure to specific antigen in theabsence of the tolerizing agent.

Downregulating or preventing one or more functions of an antigenpresenting cell antigen (e.g., B7.1), and thus preventing high levellymphokine synthesis by activated T cells will be useful in situationsof tissue, skin and organ transplantation and in graft-versus-hostdisease (GVHD). For example, blockage of T cell function should resultin reduced tissue destruction in tissue transplantation. Typically, intissue transplants, rejection of the transplant is initiated through itsrecognition as foreign by T cells, followed by an immune reaction thatdestroys the transplant. The administration of a GITR antagonist (e.g.,GITRL inhibitory polynucleotides, an antagonistic small molecule, aneutralizing anti-GITR antibody, and/or a neutralizing anti-GITRLantibody), in combination with a molecule which inhibits or blocksinteraction of a B7 lymphocyte antigen with its natural ligand(s) onimmune cells (such as a soluble, monomeric form of a peptide having B7.2activity alone or in conjunction with a monomeric form of a peptidehaving an activity of another B lymphocyte antigen (e.g., B7.1) orblocking antibody), prior to transplantation can lead to the binding ofthe molecule to the natural ligand(s) on the immune cells withouttransmitting the corresponding costimulatory signal. Blocking B7lymphocyte antigen function in this manner prevents cytokine synthesisby immune cells, such as effector T cells, and thus acts as animmunosuppressant. Moreover, the lack of costimulation may also besufficient to anergize the T cells, thereby inducing tolerance in asubject. Induction of long-term tolerance by B7 lymphocyteantigen-blocking reagents may avoid the necessity of repeatedadministration of these blocking reagents. To achieve sufficientimmunosuppression or tolerance in a subject, it may also be necessary toblock the function of a combination of B lymphocyte antigens.

The efficacy of particular blocking reagents in preventing organtransplant rejection or GVHD can be assessed using animal models thatare predictive of efficacy in humans. Examples of appropriate systemswhich can be used include allogenic cardiac grafts in rats and xenogenicpancreatic islet cell grafts in mice, both of which have been used toexamine the immunosuppressive effects of CTLA4Ig fusion proteins in vivoas described in Lenschow et al. (1992) Science 257:789-92 and Turka etal. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:11102-05. In addition, murinemodels of GVHD (see, e.g., Paul, ed., Fundamental Immunology, RavenPress, New York, 1989, pp. 846-47) can be used to determine the effectof blocking B lymphocyte antigen function in vivo on the development ofthat disease.

Blocking the function of an APC antigen may also be therapeuticallyuseful for treating autoimmune diseases. Many autoimmune disorders arethe result of inappropriate activation of T cells that are reactiveagainst self tissue and which promote the production of cytokines andautoantibodies involved in the pathology of the diseases. Preventing theactivation of autoreactive T cells may reduce or eliminate diseasesymptoms. Administration of GITR antagonists (e.g., GITRL inhibitorypolynucleotides, antagonistic small molecules, and/or neutralizingantibodies to GITR and/or GITRL) in combination with reagents that blockcostimulation of T cells by disrupting receptor:ligand interactions ofAPC antigens can be used to inhibit T cell activation and preventproduction of autoantibodies or T cell-derived cytokines that may beinvolved in the disease process. Additionally, GITR antagonists (e.g.,GITRL inhibitory polynucleotides, antagonistic small molecules, and/orneutralizing antibodies to GITR and/or GITRL) in combination withblocking reagents may induce antigen-specific tolerance of autoreactiveT cells, which could lead to long-term relief from the disease. Theefficacy of these agents in preventing or alleviating autoimmunedisorders can be determined using a number of well-characterized animalmodels of human autoimmune diseases. Examples include murineexperimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE), systemic lupus erythmatosisin MRL/lpr/lpr mice or NZB hybrid mice, murine autoimmune collagenarthritis, diabetes mellitus in NOD mice and BB rats, and murineexperimental myasthenia gravis (see, e.g., Paul, ed., FundamentalImmunology, Raven Press, New York, 1989, pp. 840-56).

In one embodiment, GITR antagonists (e.g., GITRL inhibitorypolynucleotides, antagonistic small molecules, and/or neutralizingantibodies to GITR and/or GITRL), including pharmaceutical compositionsthereof, are administered in combination therapy, i.e., combined withother agents, e.g., therapeutic agents, that are useful for treatingpathological conditions or disorders, such as immune disorders andinflammatory diseases. The term “in combination” in this context meansthat the agents are given substantially contemporaneously, eithersimultaneously or sequentially. If given sequentially, at the onset ofadministration of the second compound, the first of the two compounds ispreferably still detectable at effective concentrations at the site oftreatment.

For example, the combination therapy can include one or more GITRantagonists (e.g., GITRL inhibitory polynucleotides, antagonistic smallmolecules, and/or neutralizing antibodies to GITR and/or GITRL),coformulated with, and/or coadministered with, one or more additionaltherapeutic agents, e.g., one or more cytokine and growth factorinhibitors, immunosuppressants, anti-inflammatory agents, metabolicinhibitors, enzyme inhibitors, and/or cytotoxic or cytostatic agents, asdescribed in more detail below. Furthermore, one or more GITRantagonists (e.g., GITRL inhibitory polynucleotides, antagonistic smallmolecules, and/or neutralizing antibodies to GITR and/or GITRL)described herein may be used in combination with two or more of thetherapeutic agents described herein. Such combination therapies mayadvantageously utilize lower dosages of the administered therapeuticagents, thus avoiding possible toxicities or complications associatedwith the various monotherapies. Moreover, the therapeutic agentsdisclosed herein act on pathways that differ from the GITRL receptorpathway, and thus are expected to enhance and/or synergize with theeffects of the GITR antagonists, i.e. wherein effector T cells maintaintheir susceptibility to suppression by CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T cells.

Preferred therapeutic agents used in combination with a GITRL antagonistare those agents that interfere at different stages in the autoimmuneand subsequent inflammatory response. In one embodiment, one or moreGITR antagonists (e.g., GITRL inhibitory polynucleotides, antagonisticsmall molecules, and/or neutralizing antibodies to GITR and/or GITRL)described herein may be coformulated with, and/or coadministered with,one or more additional agents such as other cytokine or growth factorantagonists (e.g., soluble receptors, peptide inhibitors, smallmolecules, ligand fusions); or antibodies or antigen binding fragmentsthereof that bind to other targets (e.g., antibodies that bind to othercytokines or growth factors, their receptors, or other cell surfacemolecules); and anti-inflammatory cytokines or agonists thereof.Nonlimiting examples of the agents that can be used in combination withthe GITR antagonists (e.g., GITRL inhibitory polynucleotides,antagonistic small molecules, and/or neutralizing antibodies to GITRand/or GITRL) described herein, include, but are not limited to,antagonists of one or more interleukins (ILs) or their receptors, e.g.,antagonists of IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-12, IL-13, IL-15, IL-16,IL-18, and IL-22; antagonists of cytokines or growth factors or theirreceptors, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF), LT, EMAP-II, GM-CSF, FGFand PDGF. GITR antagonists (e.g., GITRL inhibitory polynucleotides,antagonistic small molecules, and/or neutralizing antibodies to GITRand/or GITRL) can also be combined with inhibitors of, e.g., antibodiesto, cell surface molecules such as CD2, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD25, CD28, CD30,CD40, CD45, CD69, CD80 (B7.1), CD86 (B7.2), CD90, or their ligands,including CD154 (gp39 or CD40L), or LFA-1/ICAM-1 and VLA-4/VCAM-1(Yusuf-Makagiansar et al. (2002) Med. Res. Rev. 22:146-67). Preferredantagonists that can be used in combination with GITR antagonists (e.g.,GITRL inhibitory polynucleotides, antagonistic small molecules, and/orneutralizing antibodies to GITR and/or GITRL) described herein includeantagonists of IL-1, IL-12, TNFa, IL-15, IL-17, IL-18, and IL-22.

Examples of those agents include IL-12 antagonists, such as chimeric,humanized, human or in vitro-generated antibodies (or antigen bindingfragments thereof) that bind to IL-12 (preferably human IL-12), e.g.,the antibody disclosed in WO 00/56772; IL-12 receptor inhibitors, e.g.,antibodies to human IL-12 receptor; and soluble fragments of the IL-12receptor, e.g., human IL-12 receptor. Examples of IL-15 antagonistsinclude antibodies (or antigen binding fragments thereof) against IL-15or its receptor, e.g., chimeric, humanized, human or in vitro-generatedantibodies to human IL-15 or its receptor, soluble fragments of theIL-15 receptor, and IL-15-binding proteins. Examples of IL-18antagonists include antibodies, e.g., chimeric, humanized, human or invitro-generated antibodies (or antigen binding fragments thereof), tohuman IL-18, soluble fragments of the IL-18 receptor, and IL-18 bindingproteins (IL-18BP, Mallet et al. (2001) Circ. Res. 28). Examples of IL-1antagonists include Interleukin-1-converting enzyme (ICE) inhibitors,such as Vx740, IL-1 antagonists, e.g., IL-1RA (Anikinra, Amgen), sIL1RII(Immunex), and anti-IL-1 receptor antibodies (or antigen bindingfragments thereof).

Examples of TNF antagonists include chimeric, humanized, human or invitro-generated antibodies (or antigen binding fragments thereof) to TNF(e.g., human TNFa), such as D2E7, (human TNFa antibody, U.S. Pat. No.6,258,562), CDP-571/CDP-870/BAY-10-3356 (humanized anti-TNFa antibody;Celltech/Pharmacia), cA2 (chimeric anti-TNFa antibody; Remicade™,Centocor); anti-TNF antibody fragments (e.g., CPD870); soluble fragmentsof the TNF receptors, e.g., p55 or p75 human TNF receptors orderivatives thereof, e.g., 75 kdTNFR-IgG (75 kD TNF receptor-IgG fusionprotein, Enbrel™; Immunex; see, e.g., Arthritis & Rheumatism (1994)37:S295; J. Invest. Med. (1996) 44:235A), p55 kdTNFR-IgG (55 kD TNFreceptor-IgG fusion protein (Lenercept)); enzyme antagonists, e.g., TNFaconverting enzyme (TACE) inhibitors (e.g., an alpha-sulfonyl hydroxamicacid derivative, WO 01/55112, and N-hydroxyformamide TACE inhibitor GW3333, -005, or -022); and TNF-bp/s-TNFR (soluble TNF binding protein;see e.g., Arthritis & Rheumatism (1996) 39(9)(supplement):5284; Amer. J.Physiol.-Heart and Circulatory Physiology (1995) 268:37-42). PreferredTNF antagonists are soluble fragments of the TNF receptors, e.g., p55 orp75 human TNF receptors or derivatives thereof, e.g., 75 kdTNFR-IgG, andTNFa converting enzyme (TACE) inhibitors.

In other embodiments, the GITR antagonists described herein can beadministered in combination with one or more of the following: IL-13antagonists, e.g., soluble IL-13 receptors (sIL-13) and/or antibodiesagainst IL-13; IL-2 antagonists, e.g., DAB 486-IL-2 and/or DAB 389-IL-2(IL-2 fusion proteins; Seragen; see, e.g., Arthritis & Rheumatism (1993)36:1223), and/or antibodies to IL-2R, e.g., anti-Tac (humanizedanti-IL-2R; Protein Design Labs, Cancer Res. (1990) 50(5):1495-502). Yetanother combination includes GITR antagonists (e.g., GITRL inhibitorypolynucleotides, antagonistic small molecules, and/or neutralizingantibodies to GITR and/or GITRL) in combination with nondepletinganti-CD4 inhibitors (IDEC-CE9.1/SB 210396; nondepleting primatizedanti-CD4 antibody; IDEC/SmithKline). Yet other preferred combinationsinclude antagonists of the costimulatory pathway CD80 (B7.1) or CD86(B7.2), including antibodies, soluble receptors or antagonistic ligands;as well as p-selectin glycoprotein ligand (PSGL), anti-inflammatorycytokines, e.g., IL-4 (DNAX/Schering); IL-10 (SCH 52000; recombinantIL-10 DNAX/Schering); IL-13 and TGF-β, and agonists thereof (e.g.,agonist antibodies).

In other embodiments, one or more GITR antagonists can be coformulatedwith, and/or coadministered with, one or more anti-inflammatory drugs,immunosuppressants, or metabolic or enzymatic inhibitors. Nonlimitingexamples of the drugs or inhibitors that can be used in combination withthe GITR antagonists (e.g., GITRL inhibitory polynucleotides,antagonistic small molecules, and/or neutralizing antibodies to GITRand/or GITRL) described herein, include, but are not limited to, one ormore of: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug(s) (NSAIDs), e.g.,ibuprofen, tenidap (see, e.g., Arthritis & Rheumatism (1996)39(9)(supplement):S280)), naproxen (see, e.g., Neuro. Report (1996)7:1209-13), meloxicam, piroxicam, diclofenac, and indomethacin;sulfasalazine (see, e.g., Arthritis & Rheumatism (1996)39(9)(supplement):S281); corticosteroids such as prednisolone; cytokinesuppressive anti-inflammatory drug(s) (CSAIDs); inhibitors of nucleotidebiosynthesis, e.g., inhibitors of purine biosynthesis, folateantagonists (e.g., methotrexate(N-[4-[[(2,4-diamino-6-pteridinyl)methyl]methylamino]benzoyl]-L-glutamicacid); and inhibitors of pyrimidine biosynthesis, e.g., dihydroorotatedehydrogenase (DHODH) inhibitors (e.g., leflunomide (see, e.g.,Arthritis & Rheumatism (1996) Vol. 39, No. 9 (supplement), 5131;Inflammation Research (1996) 45:103-07). Preferred therapeutic agentsfor use in combination with GITR antagonists (e.g., GITRL inhibitorypolynucleotides, antagonistic small molecules, and/or neutralizingantibodies to GITR and/or GITRL) include NSAIDs, CSAIDs, (DHODH)inhibitors (e.g., leflunomide), and folate antagonists (e.g.,methotrexate).

Examples of additional inhibitors include one or more of:corticosteroids (oral, inhaled and local injection); immunosuppresants,e.g., cyclosporin, tacrolimus (FK-506); and mTOR inhibitors, e.g.,sirolimus (rapamycin) or rapamycin derivatives, e.g., soluble rapamycinderivatives (e.g., ester rapamycin derivatives, e.g., CCI-779 (Elit(2002) Current Opinion Investig. Drugs 3(8):1249-53; Huang et al. (2002)Current Opinion Investig. Drugs 3(2):295-304); agents which interferewith signaling by proinflammatory cytokines such as TNFa or IL-1 (e.g.IRAK, NIK, IKK, p38 or MAP kinase inhibitors); COX2 inhibitors, e.g.,celecoxib, rofecoxib, and variants thereof, see, e.g., Arthritis &Rheumatism (1996) Vol. 39, No. 9 (supplement), S81); phosphodiesteraseinhibitors, e.g., R973401 (phosphodiesterase Type IV inhibitor; see,e.g., Arthritis & Rheumatism (1996) Vol. 39, No. 9 (supplement), S282));phospholipase inhibitors, e.g., inhibitors of cytosolic phospholipase 2(cPLA2) (e.g., trifluoromethyl ketone analogs (U.S. Pat. No.6,350,892)); inhibitors of vascular endothelial cell growth factor orgrowth factor receptor, e.g., VEGF inhibitor and/or VEGF-R inhibitor;and inhibitors of angiogenesis. Preferred therapeutic agents for use incombination with GITR antagonists (e.g., GITRL inhibitorypolynucleotides, antagonistic small molecules, and/or neutralizingantibodies to GITR and/or GITRL) are immunosuppresants, e.g.,cyclosporin, tacrolimus (FK-506); mTOR inhibitors, e.g., sirolimus(rapamycin) or rapamycin derivatives, e.g., soluble rapamycinderivatives (e.g., ester rapamycin derivatives, e.g., CCI-779); COX2inhibitors, e.g., celecoxib and variants thereof; and phospholipaseinhibitors, e.g., inhibitors of cytosolic phospholipase 2 (cPLA2), e.g.,trifluoromethyl ketone analogs.

Additional examples of therapeutic agents that can be combined with aGITRL antagonist include one or more of: 6-mercaptopurines (6-MP);azathioprine sulphasalazine; mesalazine; olsalazinechloroquinine/hydroxychloroquine; pencillamine; aurothiornalate(intramuscular and oral); azathioprine; cochicine; beta-2 adrenoreceptoragonists (salbutamol, terbutaline, salmeteral); xanthines (theophylline,aminophylline); cromoglycate; nedocromil; ketotifen; ipratropium andoxitropium; mycophenolate mofetil; adenosine agonists; antithromboticagents; complement inhibitors; and adrenergic agents.

The use of the GITR antagonists disclosed herein in combination withother therapeutic agents to treat or prevent specific immune disordersis discussed in further detail below.

Nonlimiting examples of agents for treating or preventing arthriticdisorders (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory arthritis,rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis andpsoriatic arthritis), with which a GITR antagonists can be combinedinclude one or more of the following: IL-12 antagonists as describedherein, NSAIDs; CSAIDs; TNFs, e.g., TNFa, antagonists as describedherein; nondepleting anti-CD4 antibodies as described herein; IL-2antagonists as described herein; anti-inflammatory cytokines, e.g.,IL-4, IL-10, IL-13 and TGFa, or agonists thereof; IL-1 or IL-1 receptorantagonists as described herein; phosphodiesterase inhibitors asdescribed herein; COX-2 inhibitors as described herein; iloprost (see,e.g., Arthritis & Rheumatism (1996) Vol. 39, No. 9 (supplement), S82);methotrexate; thalidomide (see, e.g., Arthritis & Rheumatism (1996) Vol.39, No. 9 (supplement), 5282) and thalidomide-related drugs (e.g.,Celgen); leflunomide; inhibitor of plasminogen activation, e.g.,tranexamic acid; see, e.g., Arthritis & Rheumatism (1996) Vol. 39, No. 9(supplement), S284); cytokine inhibitor, e.g., T-614; see, e.g.,Arthritis & Rheumatism (1996) Vol. 39, No. 9 (supplement), S282);prostaglandin E1 (see, e.g., Arthritis & Rheumatism (1996) Vol. 39, No.9 (supplement), S282); azathioprine (see, e.g., Arthritis & Rheumatism(1996) Vol. 39, No. 9 (supplement), S281); an inhibitor of interleukin-1converting enzyme (ICE); zap-70 and/or lck inhibitor (inhibitor of thetyrosine kinase zap-70 or lck); an inhibitor of vascular endothelialcell growth factor or vascular endothelial cell growth factor receptoras described herein; an inhibitor of angiogenesis as described herein;corticosteroid anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., SB203580); TNF-convertaseinhibitors; IL-11 (see, e.g., Arthritis & Rheumatism (1996) Vol. 39, No.9 (supplement), S296); IL-13 (see, e.g., Arthritis & Rheumatism (1996)Vol. 39, No. 9 (supplement), S308); IL-17 inhibitors (see, e.g.,Arthritis & Rheumatism (1996) Vol. 39, No. 9 (supplement), S120); gold;penicillamine; chloroquine; hydroxychloroquine; chlorambucil;cyclophosphamide; cyclosporine; total lymphoid irradiation;antithymocyte globulin; CD5-toxins; orally administered peptides andcollagen; lobenzarit disodium; cytokine regulating agents (CRAs) HP228and HP466 (Houghten Pharmaceuticals, Inc.); ICAM-1 antisensephosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides (ISIS 2302; Isis Pharmaceuticals,Inc.); soluble complement receptor 1 (TP10; T Cell Sciences, Inc.);prednisone; orgotein; glycosaminoglycan polysulphate; minocycline;anti-IL2R antibodies; marine and botanical lipids (fish and plant seedfatty acids; see, e.g., DeLuca et al. (1995) Rheum. Dis. Clin. North Am.21:759-77); auranofin; phenylbutazone; meclofenamic acid; flufenamicacid; intravenous immune globulin; zileuton; mycophenolic acid(RS-61443); tacrolimus (FK-506); sirolimus (rapamycin); amiprilose(therafectin); cladribine (2-chlorodeoxyadenosine); and azaribine.Preferred combinations include one or more GITR antagonists (e.g., GITRLinhibitory polynucleotides, antagonistic small molecules, and/orneutralizing antibodies to GITR and/or GITRL) in combination withmethotrexate or leflunomide, and in moderate or severe rheumatoidarthritis cases, cyclosporine.

Preferred examples of inhibitors to use in combination with GITRantagonists to treat arthritic disorders include TNF antagonists (e.g.,chimeric, humanized, human or in vitro-generated antibodies, or antigenbinding fragments thereof, that bind to TNF; soluble fragments of a TNFreceptor, e.g., p55 or p75 human TNF receptor or derivatives thereof,e.g., 75 kdTNFR-IgG (75 kD TNF receptor-IgG fusion protein, Enbrel™),p55 kD TNF receptor-IgG fusion protein; TNF enzyme antagonists, e.g.,TNFa converting enzyme (TACE) inhibitors); antagonists of IL-12, IL-15,IL-17, IL-18, IL-22; T cell and B cell-depleting agents (e.g., anti-CD4or anti-CD22 antibodies); small molecule inhibitors, e.g., methotrexateand leflunomide; sirolimus (rapamycin) and analogs thereof, e.g.,CCI-779; cox-2 and cPLA2 inhibitors; NSAIDs; p38 inhibitors, TPL-2, Mk-2and NFkb inhibitors; RAGE or soluble RAGE; P-selectin or PSGL-1inhibitors (e.g., small molecule inhibitors, antibodies thereto, e.g.,antibodies to P-selectin); estrogen receptor beta (ERB) agonists orERB-NFkb antagonists. Most preferred additional therapeutic agents thatcan be coadministered and/or coformulated with one or more GITRantagonists (e.g., GITRL inhibitory polynucleotides, antagonistic smallmolecules, and/or neutralizing antibodies to GITR and/or GITRL) includeone or more of: a soluble fragment of a TNF receptor, e.g., p55 or p75human TNF receptor or derivatives thereof, e.g., 75 kdTNFR-IgG (75 kDTNF receptor-IgG fusion protein, Enbrel™); methotrexate, leflunomide, ora sirolimus (rapamycin) or an analog thereof, e.g., CCI-779.

Nonlimiting examples of agents for treating or preventing multiplesclerosis with which a GITR antagonist can be combined include thefollowing: interferons, e.g., interferon-alpha1a (e.g., Avonex™; Biogen)and interferon-1b (Betaseron™; Chiron/Berlex); Copolymer 1 (Cop-1;Copaxone™; Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc.); hyperbaric oxygen;intravenous immunoglobulin; cladribine; TNF antagonists as describedherein; corticosteroids; prednisolone; methylprednisolone; azathioprine;cyclophosphamide; cyclosporine; methotrexate; 4-aminopyridine; andtizanidine. Additional antagonists that can be used in combination withGITR antagonists (e.g., GITRL inhibitory polynucleotides, antagonisticsmall molecules, and/or neutralizing antibodies to GITR and/or GITRL)include antibodies to or antagonists of human cytokines or growthfactors, for example, TNF, LT, IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-12IL-15, IL-16, IL-18, EMAP-11, GM-CSF, FGF, and PDGF. GITR antagonists(e.g., GITRL inhibitory polynucleotides, antagonistic small molecules,and/or neutralizing antibodies to GITR and/or GITRL) as described hereincan be combined with antibodies to other cell surface molecules such asCD2, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD25, CD28, CD30, CD40, CD45, CD69, CD80, CD86, CD90or their ligands. The GITR antagonists (e.g., GITRL inhibitorypolynucleotides, antagonistic small molecules, and/or neutralizingantibodies to GITR and/or GITRL) may also be combined with agents, suchas methotrexate, cyclosporine, FK506, rapamycin, mycophenolate mofetil,leflunomide, NSAIDs, for example, ibuprofen, corticosteroids such asprednisolone, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, adenosine agonists,antithrombotic agents, complement inhibitors, adrenergic agents, agentswhich interfere with signaling by proinflammatory cytokines as describedherein, IL-1b converting enzyme inhibitors (e.g., Vx740), anti-P7s,PSGL, TACE inhibitors, T cell signaling inhibitors such as kinaseinhibitors, metal loproteinase inhibitors, sulfasalazine, azathloprine,6-mercaptopurines, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, solublecytokine receptors and derivatives thereof, as described herein, andanti-inflammatory cytokines (e.g. IL-4, IL-10, IL-13 and TGF).

Preferred examples of therapeutic agents for multiple sclerosis withwhich the GITR antagonists (e.g., GITRL inhibitory polynucleotides,antagonistic small molecules, and/or neutralizing antibodies to GITRand/or GITRL) can be combined include interferon-b, for example, IFNb-1aand IFNb-1b; copaxone, corticosteroids, IL-1 inhibitors, TNF inhibitors,antibodies to CD40 ligand and CD80, and IL-12 antagonists.

Nonlimiting examples of agents for treating or preventing inflammatorybowel disease (e.g., Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis) with which aGITR antagonist (e.g., GITRL inhibitory polynucleotides, an antagonisticsmall molecule, a neutralizing anti-GITR antibody, and/or neutralizinganti-GITRL antibody) can be combined include the following: budenoside;epidermal growth factor; corticosteroids; cyclosporin, sulfasalazine;aminosalicylates; 6-mercaptopurine; azathioprine; metronidazole;lipoxygenase inhibitors; mesalamine; olsalazine; balsalazide;antioxidants; thromboxane inhibitors; IL-1 receptor antagonists;anti-IL-1 monoclonal antibodies; anti-IL-6 monoclonal antibodies; growthfactors; elastase inhibitors; pyridinyl-imidazole compounds; TNFantagonists as described herein; IL-4, IL-10, IL-13 and/or TGFbcytokines or agonists thereof (e.g., agonist antibodies); IL-11;glucuronide- or dextran-conjugated prodrugs of prednisolone,dexamethasone or budesonide; ICAM-1 antisense phosphorothioateoligodeoxynucleotides (ISIS 2302; Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.); solublecomplement receptor 1 (TP10; T Cell Sciences, Inc.); slow-releasemesalazine; methotrexate; antagonists of platelet activating factor(PAF); ciprofloxacin; and lignocaine.

In one embodiment, a GITR antagonist (e.g., GITRL inhibitorypolynucleotides, an antagonistic small molecule, a neutralizinganti-GITR antibody, and/or neutralizing anti-GITRL antibody) can be usedin combination with one or more antibodies directed at other targetsinvolved in regulating immune responses, e.g., transplant rejection orgraft-v-host disease. Nonlimiting examples of agents for treating orpreventing immune responses with which a GITR antagonist (e.g., GITRLinhibitory polynucleotides, an antagonistic small molecule, aneutralizing anti-GITR antibody, and/or neutralizing anti-GITRLantibody) of the invention can be combined include the following:antibodies against other cell surface molecules, including but notlimited to CD25 (interleukin-2 receptor-a), CD11s (LFA-1), CD54(ICAM-1), CD4, CD45, CD28/CTLA4, CD80 (B7.1) and/or CD86 (B7.2). In yetanother embodiment, a GITR antagonist (e.g., GITRL inhibitorypolynucleotides, an antagonistic small molecule, a neutralizinganti-GITR antibody, and/or neutralizing anti-GITRL antibody) is used incombination with one or more general immunosuppressive agents, such ascyclosporin A or FK506.

In other embodiments, GITR antagonists (e.g., GITRL inhibitorypolynucleotides, an antagonistic small molecule and/or neutralizinganti-GITRL antibody) are used as vaccine adjuvants against autoimmunedisorders, inflammatory diseases or transplant rejection. Thecombination of adjuvants for treatment of these types of disorders aresuitable for use in combination with a wide variety of antigens fromtargeted self-antigens, i.e., autoantigens, involved in autoimmunity,e.g., myelin basic protein; inflammatory self-antigens, e.g., amyloidpeptide protein, or transplant antigens, e.g., alloantigens. The antigenmay comprise peptides or polypeptides derived from proteins, as well asfragments of any of the following: saccharides, proteins,polynucleotides or oligonucleotides, autoantigens, amyloid peptideprotein, transplant antigens, allergens, or other macromolecularcomponents. In some instances, more than one antigen is included in theantigenic composition.

For example, desirable vaccines for moderating responses to allergens ina vertebrate host, which contain the adjuvant combinations of thisinvention, include those containing an allergen or fragment thereof.Examples of such allergens are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,877 andpublished International Patent Application No. WO 99/51259, which arehereby incorporated by reference in their entireties, and includepollen, insect venoms, animal dander, fungal spores and drugs (such aspenicillin). The vaccines interfere with the production of IgEantibodies, a known cause of allergic reactions. In another example,desirable vaccines for preventing or treating disease characterized byamyloid deposition in a vertebrate host, which contain the adjuvantcombinations of this invention, include those containing portions ofamyloid peptide protein (APP). This disease is referred to variously asAlzheimer's disease, amyloidosis or amyloidogenic disease. Thus, thevaccines of this invention include the adjuvant combinations of thisinvention plus Aβ peptide, as well as fragments of Aβ peptide andantibodies to Aβ peptide or fragments thereof.

Methods of 1) downregulating antigen presenting cell function; and 2)combination therapy for managing immunosuppression are well known in theart (see, e.g., Xiao et al. (2003) Dendritic cell vaccine design:strategies for eliciting peripheral tolerance therapy of autoimmunediseases. BioDrugs 17:103-11; Kuwana (2002) Induction of anergic andregulatory T cells by plasmacytoid dendritic cells and other dendriticcell subsets. Hum. Immunol. 63:1156-63; Lu et al. (2002) Manipulation ofdendritic cells for tolerance induction in transplantation andautoimmune disease. Transplantation 73:S19-S22; Rifle et al. (2002)Dendritic cells and second signal blockade: a step toward allografttolerance. Transplantation 73:S1-S2; Mancini et al. (2004) Themanagement of immunosuppression: the art and the science. Crit. Care.Nurs. Q. 27:61-64).

Another aspect of the present invention accordingly relates to kits forcarrying out the combined administration of GITR antagonists (e.g.,GITRL inhibitory polynucleotides, antagonistic small molecules, and/orneutralizing antibodies to GITR and/or GITRL) with other therapeuticcompounds. In one embodiment, the kit comprises one or more bindingagents formulated in a pharmaceutical carrier, and at least one agent,e.g., therapeutic agent, formulated as appropriate, in one or moreseparate pharmaceutical preparations.

The present invention is illustrated by the following Examples relatedto a novel mouse cDNA, designated mouse GITRL cDNA, encoding a novelligand polypeptide designated mouse GITRL, as well as novel antibodiesto GITRL. One of skill in the art would understand the teachings of theExamples to be applicable to all homologs of mouse GITRL.

EXAMPLES

The Examples which follow are set forth to aid in the understanding ofthe invention but are not intended to, and should not be construed to,limit its scope in any way. The Examples do not include detaileddescriptions of conventional methods, such as flow cytometry (e.g.,FACS), PCR, Northern and in situ hybridization, or those methodsemployed in the construction of vectors, the insertion of genes encodingthe polypeptides into such vectors and plasmids, the introduction ofsuch vectors and plasmids into host cells, and the expression ofpolypeptides from such vectors and plasmids in host cells. Such methodsare well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

Example 1 Identification of GITRL DNA Sequences Example 1.1Identification of the Mouse GITRL cDNA and Genomic Sequences

Two approaches were taken to identify the murine GITRL homolog. In oneapproach, the amino acid sequence of human GITRL (from GenBank Acc. No.AX077015) was used in a Tblastn search against div1; div2; div3; div4;gbdiv_cu; Celera mouse (cm); and draft_mouse-dna databases. Genomicsequence ga_(—)69772862.cm_(—)4 was identified as one of the possiblehits to investigate. Missing amino acid sequences were identified in aTblastn search with the amino acid sequence of human GITRL (GenBank Acc.No. AX077015) against the unmasked Celera mouse genomic assembly (cm)using expectation value (E)=10 (default), 100 and 1000. Genomic sequencega_x5j8b7w7wj5_(—)041.cm_aa_(—)2 was identified as the genomic sequencecontaining the missing amino acid sequences.

In another approach, the amino acid sequence of human GITRL (fromGenBank Acc. No. NM_(—)005092) was used in a Tblastn search against theunmasked Celera mouse genomic assembly (cm) using default expectationvalue (E)=10 and 1000. Genomic sequence ga_x5j8b7w7wj5_(—)041.cm_aa_(—)2was identified as the genomic sequence containing three high scoringpair (HSP) regions.

A putative mouse cDNA sequence was constructed based on the three HSPregions obtained in the above-described Tblastn search. This cDNAsequence was edited based on the comparison between the alignments ofthe three human exon sequences with the corresponding human genomicsequence from Celera (ga_x2htbl3vud5_(—)66.ch_r25h_(—)1) and the threederived mouse putative exon sequences with the corresponding mousegenomic sequence from Celera (ga_x5j8b7w7wj5_(—)041.cm_aa_(—)2). Thisediting took into account the splice junctions for the human sequence.The edited mouse GITRL cDNA sequence contained an open reading frame of519 by (coding sequence of 522 bp), corresponding to a protein of 173amino acids.

Primers were designed based on the putative exons of mouse GITRL genomicsequence and used to isolate the corresponding physical cDNA clone froma murine thymus cDNA library by PCR. The sequences of the forward (SEQID NO:4) and reverse (SEQ ID NO:5) PCR primers were:

5′ ATGGAGGAAATGCCTTTGAGAG 3′ (forward primer), and5′ GAATGGTAGATCAGGCATTAAGATG 3′ (reverse primer).

The resulting fragment was subcloned and the DNA sequence was determinedusing standard methods. The resulting fragment confirmed the existenceof a mouse GITRL cDNA comprising all three predicted exons (see below).This fragment was extended to include the final coding segment (twoamino acids) of the cDNA by PCR amplification of this resulting cDNAclone. The sequences of the forward (SEQ ID NO:6) and reverse (SEQ IDNO:7) PCR primers for this step were:

5′ TTTAAAGTCGACCCACCATGGAGGAAATGCCTTTGAGAG 3′ (forward primer), and5′ TTTAAAGAATTCTCATTAAGAGATGAATGGTAGATCAGGCAT 3′ (reverse primer).

The forward PCR primer contained a SalI site, a Kozak sequence fortranslation initiation, and the ATG encoding the initiating methionine.The reverse primer contained an EcoRI site. The SalI and EcoRI siteswere used for directional subcloning, and sequence determination of thefinal cDNA clone was performed.

The full-length mouse GITRL cDNA sequence and its deduced amino acidsequence are set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 and SEQ ID NO:2, respectively.Alignment of the human GITRL cDNA (SEQ ID NO:8) and mouse GITRL cDNAsequences revealed 69.6% identity. Alignment of the human GITRL aminoacid (SEQ ID NO:9) and mouse GITRL amino acid sequences (FIG. 1)revealed 54.1% identity and 60.0% similarity. This degree of amino acididentity is similar to that which exists in general between human andmouse homologs of other TNFR ligands (Oshima et al. (1998) Int. Immunol.10:517-26).

Comparison of the cloned mouse GITRL cDNA sequence (SEQ ID NO:1) withpublicly available murine databases revealed a single nucleotidepolymorphism (SNP) in the coding region of mouse GITRL (an A/Ctransversion at nucleotide position 470 of SEQ ID NO:1 in exon 3, whichresults in an asparagine to threonine change at amino acid position 157of SEQ ID NO:2).

Comparison of the mouse GITRL cDNA sequence with the mouse genomicsequence from Celera (ga_x5j8b7w7wj5_(—)041.cm_aa_(—)2) described aboverevealed that the mouse GITRL locus contains three exons and two introns(see Table 2 below), with exonic size and position well conservedbetween mouse and human GITRL. The mouse GITRL genomic DNA sequence isset forth in SEQ ID NO:3.

TABLE 2 Region in Position in SEQ ID NO: 3 Sequence Attribute Length(bp) SEQ ID NO: 1  1-255 5′-sequence 255 — 256-390 Exon#1 135  1-135 391-6010 Intron#1 5620 — 6011-6044 Exon#2 34 136-169 6045-8990 Intron#22946 — 8991-9340 Exon#3 350 170-519 9341-9343 Stop 3 520-522  9344-102893′-Sequence 946 —

A comparison of the genomic structure of mouse GTRL (Table 2) with thegenomic structure of human GITRL (see Table 3 below) shows that exonicsize and intronic position are well conserved between the human andmouse GITRL genomic DNA sequences. The human GITRL genomic DNA sequenceis set forth in SEQ ID NO:10.

TABLE 3 Region in Position in SEQ ID NO: 10 Sequence Attribute Length(bp) SEQ ID NO: 8  1-421 5′-sequence 421 — 422-577 Exon#1 156  1-156 578-7348 Intron#1 6771 — 7349-7379 Exon#2 31 157-187 7380-9604 Intron#22225 — 9605-9948 Exon#3 344 188-531 9949-9951 Stop 3 532-534  9952-103313′-Sequence 380 —

Example 1.2 Hydrophobicity Profile of Mouse GITRL

The hydrophobicity profile of mouse GITRL was determined by TopPred(Claros and von Heijne (1994) Comput. Appl. Biosci. 10:685-6). A plot ofthe hydrophobicity score against the amino acid residues of mouse GITRL(SEQ ID NO:2) revealed a single putative hydrophobic region locatedapproximately between amino acids 25-50, similar to human GITRL. Thishydrophobic segment corresponds to the predicted transmembrane regionfor type II transmembrane proteins.

Example 2 Tissue Expression of Mouse GITRL

Oligonucleotide probes based on the mouse GITRL cDNA sequence (SEQ IDNO:1) were used to test several murine tissue samples for GITRLexpression by Northern hybridization, in situ hybridization, andreal-time PCR (e.g., Heid et al. (1996) Genome Res. 6:986-94; Mullah etal. (1998) Nucleic Acids Res. 26:1026-31; Giulietti et al. (2001)Methods 25:386-401).

Although Northern hybridization revealed barely detectable transcriptsin heart, spleen, lung, lymph node, kidney, and liver, subsequent insitu hybridization revealed GITRL expression in the heart, spleen, lymphnode and thymus. GITRL expression in these tissues was generally limitedto the pericardial and endocardial cells of the heart, the white pulp ofthe spleen, the cortical, paracortical and medullary zones of lymphnodes, and the cortical and medullary zones of the thymus.

GITRL expression in thymus, spleen and lymph node was further confirmedby real-time PCR analysis. GITRL was expressed at the highest levels inspleen and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated spleen cells, which areprimarily B lymphocytes. Vanishingly low levels of GITRL expression weredetected in stomach, brain, and kidney. Real-time PCR analysis alsorevealed GITRL transcripts in liver, activated CD25⁻ cells, activatedCD25⁺ cells, and concanavalin A-activated lymph node cells, although toa lesser degree than the spleen and LPS blasts. No GITRL expression wasdetected in resting CD25⁻ or CD25⁺ cells. Real-time PCR analysis ofimmature and LPS-stimulated bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DC)also demonstrated baseline GITRL expression by immature DC thatincreased upon stimulation with LPS for 24 hours, but decreased belowbaseline after 48 hours of LPS stimulation. GITRL expression was alsodetected to varying degrees in all endothelial cell lines tested (bEND3,C166, EOMA, MSI and SVEC4-10), and was demonstrated to remain relativelyunchanged when the cell lines were stimulated with LPS. In contrast,GITRL cDNA was not detected by PCR in the following unstimulated murinecell lines of specified origin: E10T cell line, T2 fetal thymus line,T10 plasmacytoma, EL4 thymoma, BAF3 and PREB pre-B cell lines, B9 B cellhybridoma, DA1G monocytic, M1 monocytic, FBMD-1 fetal bone marrow, P19embryonic carcinoma, MDF liver, and E14 embryonic stem cell line.

Example 3 Functional Expression of Recombinant Mouse GITRL Example 3.1Binding of GITRL to Cell-Surface GITR

To determine whether the mouse cDNA isolated in Example 1 encoded afunctional GITR ligand (GITRL), Cos cells expressing mouse GITRL fusedto the FLAG epitope (GITRL-Flag-Cos) or control mouse IL-21 receptorfused to the FLAG epitope (IL-21R-Flag-Cos) were incubated for variouslengths of time with 293T cells expressing mouse GITR (GITR-293T).Cell-cell interaction was detected by flow cytometry usingphycoerythrin-labeled anti-Flag antibody (PE-FLAG) and fluoresceinisothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled anti-GITR. Even 1 min postcocentrifugation of the GITR-293T and GITRL-Flag-Cos cells, ˜90% ofGITR-293T cells (as detected by FITC fluorescence) costained for FLAG(as detected by PE fluorescence), indicating that the GITR-293T cellswere bound to the GITRL-Flag-Cos cells, and this interaction persistedthroughout the entire 60 min of the experiment. In contrast, GITR-293Tcells incubated with IL-21R-Flag-Cos cells did not significantly costainfor FLAG, even at 60 min post cocentrifugation. These data demonstratethat the mouse cDNA isolated in Example 1 encodes for a functional GITRLcapable of binding cell-surface GITR.

Example 3.2 Binding of GITRL to Soluble GITR

The ability of mouse GITRL to bind GITR was confirmed by incubating Coscells expressing mouse GITRL (GITRL-Cos) or mock-transfected Cos cellswith recombinant GITR fused to the Fc portion of human IgG (GITR-Fc) orcontrol human IgG (HIgG). Binding of GITR-Fc to GITRL was determined byflow cytometry using donkey antihuman antibody conjugated to FITC(FITC-Ab). Incubation of GITRL-Cos cells with GITR-Fc resulted in a3.6-fold increase in FITC-Ab binding (28.8%) compared to incubation ofGITRL-Cos cells with control HIgG (7.9%). Unstained GITRL-Cos cells,GITRL-Cos cells incubated with CTLA-4:Fc fusion protein and FITC-Ab, andGITRL-Cos cells incubated with FITC-Ab alone exhibited no fluorescence.Neither treated nor untreated mock-transfected Cos cells exhibited anyappreciable fluorescence. These data demonstrate that the mouse cDNAisolated in Example 1 encodes for a functional GITRL capable of bindingsoluble GITR.

Example 4 Binding of Mouse GITRL to GITR Results in Proliferation ofCD4⁺CD25⁺ Cells

The effect of GITRL:GITR binding on cellular proliferation wasdetermined by stimulating ˜50,000 murine T cells with ˜50,000 irradiatedT cell-depleted splenocytes, and 100 IU/ml IL-2 for 65-72 hrs in theabsence or presence of varying concentrations of a GITR-binding protein.Two GITR-binding proteins were used in these assays: either an agonisticanti-GITR antibody (see, e.g., McHugh et al. (2002) Immunity 16:311-23;see also U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/194,754) or murine GITRLexpressed on the surface of modified rat YB2/0 cells (GITRL-YB2/0).Cellular proliferation was assayed by pulsing cells with 1 μCi³H-thymidine for the last 6-12 hr of culture and then measuring³H-thymidine incorporation via scintillation counting.

As shown in FIG. 2A, CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells did not respond to anyconcentration of anti-GITR antibody. In contrast, anti-GITR antibodystimulated the proliferation of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells at all concentrationstested. For example, culture of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells in the presence of thelowest titre of anti-GITR antibody tested (˜0.02 μg/ml) resulted in a˜3-fold increase in ³H-thymidine incorporation (˜15,000 cpm) over cellscultured in the absence of anti-GITR antibody. The ability of anti-GITRantibody to stimulate CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cell proliferation reached a plateauof ˜45,000 cpm at an antibody concentration of ˜0.3 μg/ml, correspondingto a ˜9-fold increase in ³H-thymidine incorporation over cells culturedin the absence of anti-GITR antibody.

Similar to the results obtained with the anti-GITR antibody, GITRL-YB2/0cells did not stimulate proliferation of CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells (FIG. 2B). Incontrast, GITRL-YB2/0 cells markedly stimulated the proliferation ofCD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells. For example, culture of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells in thepresence of ˜10,000 GITRL-YB2/0 cells resulted in a ˜4-5-fold increasein ³H-thymidine incorporation over cells cultured in the presence of anequal number of unmodified YB2/0 cells. Increasing the number of YB2/0cells to ˜50,000 resulted in a ˜15-fold increase in ³H-thymidineincorporation over cells cultured in the presence of an equal number ofunmodified YB2/0 cells (FIG. 2B).

Example 5 Binding of Mouse GITRL to GITR Reverses CD4⁺CD25⁺ TCell-Mediated Suppression of CD4⁺CD25⁻ T Cells

The T cell suppressor assay used in these Examples has been previouslydescribed (see, e.g., Thornton and Shevach (2000) J. Immunol.164:183-90; McHugh et al. (2002) Immunity 16:311-23; both herebyincorporated by reference). Briefly, ˜50,000 CD4⁺CD25⁻ responder T cellswere cultured in the presence of ˜50,000 irradiated T cell-depletedsplenocytes, 0.5 μg/ml anti-CD3 antibody, and various numbers of freshlyisolated suppressor CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells. The ability of ˜50,000 irradiatedGITRL-YB2/0 cells or 2 μg/ml agonistic anti-GITR antibody to reversesuppression of CD4⁺CD25⁻ proliferation was then assessed by measuring³H-thymidine incorporation via scintillation counting.

As shown in FIG. 3A, CD4⁺CD25⁺ cells reduced proliferation of CD4⁺CD25⁻cells in a dose-dependent manner. Both anti-GITR antibody andGITRL-YB2/0 cells were able to completely reverse the suppression ofCD4⁺CD25⁻ proliferation over the entire range of number of CD4+CD25⁺suppressor cells tested. Thus binding of GITRL to its receptor GITR,like binding of agonistic anti-GITR antibody to GITR, blocked thesuppressive function of CD4⁺CD25⁺ cells. The ability of GITRL-YB2/0cells to reverse suppression occurred in a dose-dependent manner, withas few as ˜3,000 GITRL-YB2/0 cells at least partially reversing ordecreasing suppression in this assay (FIG. 3B). Neither unmodified YB2/0nor YB2/0 cells expressing GITR had an appreciable effect on CD4⁺CD25⁺ Tcell-mediated suppression (FIG. 3A).

In contrast to the results obtained with freshly isolated CD4⁺CD25⁺ Tcells, GITRL:GITR binding had little-to-no effect on suppressionmediated by CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells activated with anti-CD3 antibody, Tcell-depleted splenocytes, and IL-2 (FIG. 4). Neither the addition ofanti-GITR antibody nor ˜50,000 GITRL-YB2/0 cells was able to reversesuppression mediated by ˜25,000 activated CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells. When feweractivated CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells were added to the assay (e.g., ˜1,500-12,500cells), however, anti-GITR antibody and GITRL-YB2/0 cells were able topartially decrease, but not completely abrogate, suppression.

Example 6 Anti-Mouse GITRL Antibody Restores Suppression Mediated byCD4⁺CD25⁺ T Cells Example 6.1 Isolation of Anti-Mouse GITRL Antibodies

Antibodies specific for mouse GITRL were produced by immunizing ratswith rat YB2/0 cells expressing the mouse GITRL cDNA (GITRL-YB2/0).Using methods well known in the art, antibody hybridomas were createdand screened against Phoenix cells expressing mouse GITRL using flowcytometry. Two antibodies, 5F1 and 10F12, were identified that boundspecifically to GITRL-Phoenix cells and not mock-transfected Phoenixcontrol cells. These antibody hybridomas were deposited with theAmerican Type Culture Collection (ATCC) on Jul. 22, 2003; ATCC assignednumber PTA-5336 to hybridoma 5F1, and number PTA-5337 to hybridoma10F12.

Example 6.2 Anti-Mouse GITRL Antibodies Block the Effects of GITRL onSuppressor Activity of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T Cells

As described in Example 5 above, YB2/0 cells expressing GITRL on theircell surface were able to reverse the suppression of CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cellproliferation mediated by freshly isolated CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells. Todetermine whether anti-GITRL antibodies could restore CD4⁺CD25⁺ Tcell-mediated suppression, the T cell suppressor assay as described inExample 5 was performed in the presence or absence of either 5F1 or10F12 anti-GITRL antibody or control antibodies.

As seen in Example 5, culture of CD4⁺CD25⁻ responder T cells and freshlyisolated CD4⁺CD25⁺ suppressor T cells in the presence of GITRL-YB2/0cells resulted in complete reversal of suppression of CD4⁺CD25⁻ cellproliferation (FIGS. 5A and 5B). The addition of 10% hybridoma culturesupernatants containing 5F1 anti-GITRL antibody to the assay resulted inpartial (FIG. 5B) to almost complete (FIG. 5A) restoration ofCD4⁺CD25⁺-mediated suppression. Addition of 10F12 anti-GITRL antibodygave similar results. As expected, the presence of control antibodies(“control Ig”) had no appreciable effect on the ability of GITRL-YB2/0cells to reverse suppression (FIG. 5B). These data demonstrate thatanti-GITRL antibodies block the ability of GITRL to turn off thesuppressor activity of CD4⁺CD25⁺ cells.

Example 6.3 Anti-Mouse GITRL Antibodies Suppress T Cell Responses Onlyin the Presence of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T Cells

Lymph node cell cultures were stimulated in the presence of varyingconcentrations of agonistic anti-CD3 antibody prior to (FIG. 6A) orafter the depletion of (FIG. 6B) CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells, and proliferationwas measured by determining ³H-thymidine incorporation via scintillationcounting. To determine the effects of anti-GITRL antibody onproliferation, 10% hybridoma culture supernatants containing 5F1anti-GITRL antibody were added to parallel cultures.

As shown in FIG. 6A, addition of anti-GITRL antibody suppressedproliferation of lymph node cells containing CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells when thecells were stimulated with ˜0.075 μg/ml to ˜0.75 μg/ml anti-CD3antibody. Suppression was not seen in the presence of the anti-GITRLantibody when the lymph node cells containing CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells werestimulated with 1.0 μg/ml anti-CD3 antibody. In contrast to the resultsobtained with lymph node cell cultures containing CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells, theaddition of anti-GITRL antibody generally had no suppressive effects onlymph node cell cultures that had been depleted of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells(FIG. 6B). Taken together, these data suggest that anti-GITRL antibodyblocks the interaction between GITR expressed on CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells andGITRL expressed on other cells, and that blockade of this GITR/GITRLinteraction enhances the regulatory function of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells torestore immunosuppression.

Example 7 Distribution of GITRL-Expressing cells in Lymphoid Tissues

The agonistic anti-GITRL antibody was used to examine the expression ofGITRL in mouse tissues by flow cytometry. Freshly isolated CD11c⁺splenic dendritic cell (DC) subsets expressing CD4 only, CD8 only, orboth CD4 and CD8, constitutively expressed low levels of GITRL (FIG.7A). However, surface expression of GITRL was noticeably higher amongCD11c^(low)B220⁺ plasmacytoid dendritic cells (Nakano et al., 2001). InFIG. 7B, staining with anti-GITRL mAb or an isotype control was done onthe indicated subsets of freshly isolated CD11c⁺ splenic DCs from BALB/cmice.

Similarly, freshly isolated B220⁺ splenic B cells constitutivelyexpressed GITRL, as did peritoneal B-1 B cells (perC CD11b⁺ B220⁺),although at higher levels (FIG. 7C, top). Resting peritoneal macrophages(perC CD11b⁺ B220⁻) were also found to express this ligand (FIG. 7C,bottom).

Thymocyte subsets undergoing selection did not express measurableamounts of GITRL (FIG. 7D). In contrast, as shown in FIG. 7E, expressionof GITRL was detectable on all subsets of CD4⁻CD8⁻ thymic precursors,with CD44⁺CD25⁺ (R2) and CD44⁻CD25⁺ (R3) subsets expressing the highestlevels.

GITRL was undetectable on unstimulated lymph node cells (FIG. 7F). GITRLwas also undetectable on unstimulated splenic T cells (data not shown).These data demonstrate the expression of GITRL by professional antigenpresenting cells (DCs, B cells and macrophages; FIG. 7A-7C) and thymicCD4⁻CD8⁻ precursor cells (FIG. 7E), but not T cells undergoing selection(FIG. 7D) or resting T cells in the periphery (unstimulated lymph nodeand splenic cells; FIG. 7F, and data not shown). These data correlatedwith data obtained by Northern hybridization, in situ hybridization, andreal-time PCR as described in Example 2 (above).

Example 8 APCs Downregulate GITRL Following TLR Stimulation

The effects of B cell activation on GITRL expression were examinedfollowing treatment with Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands, or anti-CD40and IL-4, or anti-IgM. Stimulation of either splenic B cells (B220⁺splenocytes) or peritoneal B-1 B cells (B220⁺CD11b⁺PerC) resulted in arapid but transient upregulation of GITRL, which was apparent after 4hours with most of the treatments (FIG. 8A). Following 48-60 hours ofstimulation, expression declined to below prestimulation levels where itstabilized. An exception was polyI:C-treated B-1 B cells from theperitoneal cavity, which did not display this downregulation during thetime points examined. As expected, levels of CD86 increased over thecourse of the experiment in all groups, indicating that the observeddownregulation of GITRL was not secondary to cell death (data notshown).

The reduction of GITRL expressed by B cells after treatment withanti-CD40 and IL-4 suggested that expression could be modulatedfollowing the provision of T cell help. GITRL expression by B cellsamong total splenocytes was assessed after culture with anti-CD3antibody. Under these culture conditions, expression of GITRL on B220⁺splenocytes was also down-regulated after 48 hours (FIG. 8B). Thus,physiological levels of T cell activity also led to a reduction in theexpression of GITRL by splenic B cells.

Splenic CD11c⁺ DCs were enriched with magnetic beads and examined forexpression of GITRL after 12 and 36 hours of culture in the presence ofLPS. DCs cultured in either medium or LPS expressed GITRL during theinitial 12 hours, with modest upregulation induced by LPS. However, by36 hours, expression of GITRL was undetectable on both LPS-treated DCsas well as those cultured only in medium. FIG. 8C shows expression ofGITRL (top histogram panels) and CD86 (B7.2) (bottom histogram panels)by purified CD11c⁺DCs following culture with or without LPS (0.5 μg/ml)at the indicated time points. As shown, CD86 (B7.2) expression wasupregulated as expected (Banchereau and Steinman, 1998). The reductionin GITRL expression by splenic DCs cultured in medium suggests that the“spontaneous” DC maturation that occurs during in vitro culture (Vremecand Shortman, 1997) is sufficient to downregulate expression of GITRL.For this reason, only results following LPS stimulation are shown,although DCs were subjected to the same treatments shown for B cells.Similar to the results of another published report (Tone et al., 2003),it was found that bone marrow-derived DCs express GITRL constitutively,and that such expression was only marginally reduced after treatmentwith various TLR ligands (data not shown).

Both CD4 and CD8 T cells expressed measurable levels of GITRL after a48-hour culture of splenocytes in the absence (“+Med.”) or presence(“+aCD3”) of soluble anti-CD3 antibody (FIG. 8D), confirming previousreal time PCR (see also Example 2).

Example 9 Blockade of GITR/GITRL Interaction Inhibits LymphocyteProliferation

Because GITRL was constitutively expressed by APCs, and becauseGITR/GITRL interactions were proposed to abrogate the suppressivefunctions of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells, the ability of anti-GITRL antibody toenhance suppression mediated by the endogenous population of CD4⁺CD25⁺ Tcells resident in secondary lymphoid organs was tested. A comparison wasmade of the proliferative responses of total lymph node cells (LN),total splenocytes (Sp), and LN or Sp depleted of CD25⁺ cells (425), eachof which were cultured with the anti-GITRL antibody (filled circles) ora control antibody (Rat IgG; open circles. The addition of anti-GITRLantibody reduced the proliferative response of total lymph node cells(FIG. 9A, top left) and to a lesser degree, total splenocytes (FIG. 9A,bottom left). However, the inhibitory effect was also apparent incultures depleted of CD25⁺ cells (FIG. 9A, top right (LN); bottom right(Sp)), raising the possibility that GITR/GITRL interactions providecostimulatory signals for CD25⁻ T cells.

To directly test this possibility, the proliferative responses ofpurified CD4⁺CD25⁻ and CD8⁺ T cells were examined in the presence ofAPCs and YB2/0 cells expressing GITRL. The proliferation of bothCD4⁺CD25⁻ and CD8⁺ T cells was substantially enhanced in the presence ofGITRL-expressing cells (FIG. 9B), which was particularly evident at lowconcentrations of anti-CD3 for CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells.

It may appear discrepant that the anti-GITR antibody mediates itseffects by acting on CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells, as resting T cells express onlylow levels of GITR. However, the discrepancy is resolved by thedemonstration that GITR expression is rapidly upregulated following Tcell activation (FIG. 9C), reaching maximal levels between 48 and 72hours after activation. These results support the possibility GITR/GITRLinteractions can influence CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cell activation independently ofregulatory CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells.

Example 10 Reversal of Suppression Requires GITR Expression by CD25⁻TCells

Previous studies suggested that ligation of GITR on CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cellsinhibited their suppressive capabilities (McHugh et al, 2002; Shimizu etal., 2002). However, because activated T cells also express GITR, wesought to determine the relevant cellular target(s) of GITR engagementresulting in the abrogation of suppression. Proliferation was measuredeither in the presence or absence of anti-GITR mAb (DTA-1) in coculturesusing combinations of CD4⁺CD25⁺ and CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells from GITR^(+/+)and GITR^(−/−) mice (FIG. 10). As previously reported (Shimizu et al.,2002), when both the CD4⁺CD25⁺ and CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells expressed GITR, theaddition of anti-GITR mAb to cocultures resulted in an increase in theproliferative response compared to cocultures receiving isotype antibody(FIG. 10A, panel a). When CD4⁺CD25⁻, but not CD4⁺CD25⁺, T cellsexpressed GITR in cocultures, the addition of the anti-GITR antibody ledto an enhancement in T cell proliferation similar to that seen whenCD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells expressed GITR (FIG. 10A, panel b). However, incocultures of CD4⁺CD25⁻GITR^(−/−) and CD4⁺CD25⁺GITR^(+/+) T cells,addition of the anti-GITR antibody had no effect on proliferation (FIG.10A, panel c). As expected, the addition of anti-GITR antibody tococultures of CD4⁺CD25⁻GITR^(−/−) and CD4⁺CD25⁺GITR^(−/−) T cells alsohad no effect on T cell proliferation (FIG. 10A, panel d). Resultssimilar to those described above were obtained with a polyclonalanti-mGITR antibody preparation obtained commercially (data not shown).

Strong evidence in support of the hypothesis that the abrogation ofsuppression was a consequence of ligation of GITR expressed by CD4⁺CD25⁺T cells was obtained in a previous study, which used combinations of ratresponders and mouse CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T cells (Shimizu et al.,2002). The anti-GITR mAb (DTA-1) used in these studies was generated ina rat, and consequently did not bind to rat cells (id.). Experimentsanalogous to those described above were performed using cocultures ofrat CD4⁺CD25⁻ responders, mouse CD4⁺CD25⁺ suppressors, and irradiatedrat APCs (FIG. 10B, panel b). Cocultured mouse CD4⁺CD25⁻ responders,mouse CD4⁺CD25⁺ suppressors, and irradiated rat APCs were included as acontrol (FIG. 10B, panel a). Similar to the data obtained fromGITR^(−/−) mice, no abrogation of CD4⁺CD25⁺-mediated suppressionoccurred (FIG. 10B, panel b), unless GITR could be cross-linked on theresponding CD25⁻ population (FIG. 10B, panel a).

A further analysis of the rat/mouse system was accomplished by examiningthe dilution of CFSE by cocultured rat CD4⁺CD25⁻ and mouse CD4⁺CD25⁺ Tcells by flow cytometry. In the presence of the isotype controlantibody, the rat CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells were only partially suppressed bymouse CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells when cultured at a 1:8 suppressor to responderratio (FIG. 10C, left histogram panels). However, the addition of theanti-GITR antibody led to an additional expansion of the mouse CD4⁺CD25⁺T cells, and a consequent increase in the suppression of the rat T cells(FIG. 10C, right histogram panels). The increased CFSE dilution of mouseCD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells following GITR ligation could be partially inhibitedby the addition of blocking anti-CD25 antibodies, suggesting that IL-2initially made by the responder T cells was also required for thisexpansion (data not shown). Together, these results unequivocallydemonstrate that engagement of GITR on responder CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells isrequired to overcome CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cell-mediated suppression.

Example 11 Expression of GITR Signals is Required to Regulate andOvercome Suppression Mediated by Endogenous Regulatory T Cells

Since both CD28 and GITR appeared to provide costimulatory signalsduring the activation of T cells, we sought to determine if they playeddistinct roles during the primary response. We compared the capacity ofGITR and CD28 to promote T cell proliferation in the presence or absenceof endogenous lymph node CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells, and in the presence orabsence of exogenous IL-2 (FIG. 11). The same samples used forproliferation studies were simultaneously assessed for CFSE dilutionfollowing the 72-hour culture period. In the absence of exogenous IL-2,CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells from both GITR^(−/−) and CD28^(−/−) animals failedto proliferate (FIG. 11A, panel a). LN cells from GITR^(+/−) animalsdisplayed a phenotype intermediate between those from wild type andGITR^(−/−) animals (FIG. 11A, panel a). The response of T cells fromwild type mice was significantly enhanced following depletion of CD25⁺ Tcells, indicating that suppression under these culture conditions wasmediated by the CD25⁺ T cells resident in the normal lymph node (FIG.11A, compare panels a and b). Most importantly, in the absence ofCD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells, the responses of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ lymph node T cellsfrom GITR^(−/−) mice were comparable to those of wild type mice asassessed by ³H-thymidine incorporation (FIG. 11A, panel b) and CSFEdilution (FIG. 11B, top set of panels). However, after 72 hours, CD4⁺and CD8⁺ T cells from CD28^(−/−) animals were not proliferating even inthe absence of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells (FIG. 11A, panel b).

A very different pattern of response was observed when exogenous IL-2was added to the cultures of intact lymph node cells. CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ Tcell proliferation was completely inhibited in the absence of GITR asassayed by ³H-thymidine uptake (FIG. 11A, panel c) or by the lack ofCFSE dilution (FIG. 11B, middle set of panels). In contrast, measurableproliferation of T cells from CD28^(−/−) animals was detected by³H-thymidine incorporation (FIG. 11A, panel c), although the CFSEprofile demonstrated that CD8⁺ T cells were largely responsible for theproliferation measured (FIG. 11B). In the presence of IL-2 (50 U/ml),lymph nodes depleted of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells from all animals displayedsimilar levels of proliferation as assessed by ³H-thymidineincorporation (FIG. 11A, panel d) and CFSE dilution (FIG. 11B, bottomset of panels). Taken together, these results indicate that the defectsin T cell activation in GITR^(−/−) and CD28^(−/−) mice are distinct.

The inability of total T cells present in lymph nodes of GITR^(−/−) miceto proliferate in the presence of exogenous IL-2 suggested that theexpression of the high affinity IL-2 receptor might be affected in theseanimals. Since the expression of the IL-2Rα chain is primarily inducedby its ligand (Depper et al., 1985; Malek and Ashwell, 1985), theability of anti-CD3-activated CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells from GITR^(−/−) mice toexpress this chain was examined in the presence or absence of CD4⁺CD25⁺T cells, and in the presence or absence of IL-2 (FIG. 11C). In thepresence of regulatory T cells, the addition of IL-2 to coculturesresulted in enhanced expression of CD25 by GITR^(+/+), but not byGITR^(−/−), CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells after 24 hours (FIG. 11C, bottom righthistogram panel). However, the ability of GITR^(−/−) CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cellsto undergo IL-2-induced CD25 expression could be readily restored byremoving CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells (FIG. 11C, bottom left histogram panel).Thus, the impairment in IL-2 responsiveness by GITR^(−/−) T cells in thepresence of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells was due, at least in part, to theirinability to express the high affinity IL-2 receptor in the presence ofconcentrations of exogenous IL-2 sufficient to induce CD25 expression onwild type cells.

Example 12 CD28-Dependent Costimulation Enhances GITR Expression andResponsiveness

Although the data presented above suggested that engagement of eitherGITR or CD28 on CD25⁻ T cells provided a signal that allowed theresponder T cells to escape suppression, the nature of the signalsinvolved in this process remained unclear. The partial rescue of theproliferative responses of CD28^(−/−) CD8⁺ T cells by IL-2 in thepresence of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells suggested that CD28/B7 signaling mightregulate T cell sensitivity to GITR/GITRL interactions. Furthermore,previous studies have demonstrated that CD28-CD80/CD86 interactions canenhance expression of some TNFR-family members (Gilfillan et al., 1998;Rogers et al., 2001). Thus, we examined this possibility with respect toGITR. Purified CD4⁺CD25⁻ and CD8⁺ T cells from CD28^(−/−) or wild typemice either remained unstimulated or were activated with lowconcentrations of plate-bound anti-CD3 antibody in the presence orabsence of plate-bound anti-CD28 antibody (FIG. 12A). Although wild typeT cells exposed to anti-CD3 alone only slightly upregulated GITR, theexpression of GITR by both CD4⁺CD25⁻ and CD8⁺ T cells was greatlyenhanced by the inclusion of anti-CD28.

Similarly, the upregulation of GITR expression on CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells wasmarkedly inhibited by the addition of anti-CD80/CD86 (anti-B7.1/7.2)(FIG. 12B, left histogram panel). The inhibition of GITR expression incultures containing anti-CD80/CD86 was not secondary to reducedproduction of IL-2, as GITR upregulation by CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells was notprevented in cultures containing anti-IL-2/IL-2R mAbs (FIG. 12B (righthistogram panel).

The enhanced expression of GITR induced by CD28-derived costimulatorysignals was paralleled by an enhanced responsiveness to GITR signaling(FIG. 12C). The addition of the anti-GITR antibody substantiallyenhanced the proliferation of both CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ effector T cells fromwild type mice (FIG. 12C, left panels). However, when anti-CD80/CD86 wasadded to these cultures, the presence of the anti-GITR antibody onlymarginally increased the proliferation of GITR^(+/+) CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells(FIG. 12C, GITR^(+/+), top left; GITR^(−/−), top right) and GITR^(+/+)CD8⁺ T cells (FIG. 12C, GITR^(+/+), bottom left; GITR^(−/−), bottomright) over the range of anti-CD3 concentrations tested. Treatment withanti-GITR did not affect the responses of purified CD4⁺CD25⁻ and CD8⁺ Tcells from GITR^(−/−) mice (FIG. 12C, right panels). These data suggestthat CD28-mediated signals, distinct from costimulation of IL-2production, enhance GITR expression and facilitate GITR-mediatedsignaling.

Example 13 GITRL Binding to GITR Provides a Costimulatory Signal toEffector T Cells

Forty-thousand effector HT-2 T helper cells (GITR⁺/TCR⁺) were culturedin the absence or presence of the following reagents: 1) anti-CD3 coatedbeads at a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio, 2) ten-thousand YB/2 cells that were eithernot modified to express GITRL (YB2/0 parental) or modified to expressGITRL (YB2/0 muGITRL), and 3) increasing concentrations of an isotypecontrol antibody or four different anti-GITRL antibodies (5F1, MGTL-10,MGTL-15, or a polyclonal anti-GITRL antibody). Proliferation wasmeasured by ³H-thymidine incorporation for the last 5 hours of a 44-hourculture period. FIG. 13A demonstrates that GITRL enhances theproliferation of T cells stimulated with anti-CD3. Additionally,GITRL-mediated enhancement of T cell proliferation may be blocked with5F1 antibody, but not the isotype control antibody (FIG. 13B) andcommercially available MGTL-10, MGTL-15 and polyclonal anti-GITRLantibodies (FIG. 13C). These data provide further evidence that GITRLprovides a costimulatory signal, and also, that 5F1 is a neutralizingantibody to GITRL.

Example 14 Blocking GITR-GITRL Binding with an Anti-GITRL AntibodyPrevents Adoptive Transfer of PLP Induced Experimental AutoimmuneEncephalomyelitis

Nine-week-old female SJL mice were immunized with 150 μg PLP peptide(amino acids 139-151) [HSLGKWLGHPDKF (SEQ ID NO:12)] in completeFreund's adjuvant. Ten days after immunization, splenocytes wereharvested and restimulated ex vivo for 3 days with 10 μg/ml PLP (aminoacids 139-151) in the absence (no treatment) or presence of 10 μg/mlantibody (anti-GITRL antibody or control antibody). After restimulation,5×10⁶ splenocytes were adoptively transferred into 10-week-old naïve SJLmice, and the mice were monitored for 52 days for the experimentalautoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), as measured on a scale from 0 to 5.EAE developed in 40% and 80% of mice that received splenocytesrestimulated in the absence of any antibody (no treatment) and mice thatreceived splenocytes restimulated in the presence of control antibody(CK01), respectively (FIG. 14). Additionally, there was no significancedifference in disease scale between animals that received splenocyteswith no treatment and animals that received splenocytes treated withcontrol antibody. Significantly, none of the mice that receivedsplenocytes that were restimulated in the presence of anti-GITRLantibody (5F1) developed EAE (p=0.0023 vs. control antibody treatment)(FIG. 14). These data suggest that blockade of the GITR/GITRL pathwaywill limit the ability of CD25⁻ T cells to overcome suppression, therebydownmodulating their ability to effect autoimmune responses.

Example 15 Experimental Procedures Example 15.1 Antibodies and Reagents

All antibodies used for flow cytometry or functional studies were fromBD-Pharmingen, except: tri-color labeled aCD4 (clone CT-CD4) and aB220(clone RA3-6B2) which were purchased from Caltag (Burlingame, Calif.),and MGTL-10, MGTL-15, and polyclonal anti-GITRL antibodies, which werepurchased from Alexis Biochemicals (San Diego, Calif.). Purified F(ab′)₂fragment of goat-anti-IgM μ-chain was purchased from JacksonImmunoresearch (West Grove, Pa.). Anti-IL-2 (clone S4B6) was used asascites fluid. Human recombinant IL-2 was obtained from the NationalCancer Institute (Frederick, Md.). IL-4, IFN-γ, IL-12, and T cellenrichment columns were purchased from R&D Systems (Minneapolis, Minn.).Poly I:C and LPS were purchased from Sigma. CpGs were purchased fromInvivoGen (San Diego, Calif.). Anti-GITRL (clone 5F1; also clone 10F12)and anti-GITR (clone DTA-1) and the PLP peptide were produced“in-house.” Anti-B220, -CD11c, -CD11b-CD8, -CD4 and -PE magnetic beadswere purchased from Miltenyi (Auburn, Calif.).

Example 15.2 Mice

BALB/c and C57B1/6 mice (6-8 week old females) were purchased from theNCI Frederick animal facility (Frederick, Md.). CD28^(−/−) mice wereprovided by Dr. Alfred Singer (NIH/NCI). GITR^(+/−) embryos (Sv129×B6)were provided by C. Ricarrdi (Perugia University Medical School, Italy)(Ronchetti et al., 2002). The rederived GITR^(+/−) mice were backcrossedonce with C57BL/6 mice, and the resulting progeny were screened for themutant allele by PCR. The identified GITR^(+/−) progeny were thenintercrossed to generate GITR^(−/−) mice. All mice were bred and housedat NIH/NIAID facilities under SPF (specific pathogen-free) conditions.

Example 15.3 cDNA Cloning and Expression

The amino acid sequence for human GITRL (GenBank Acc. No. NM_(—)005092)was used to search the Celera database for the mGITRL. Genomic sequencega_x5j8b7w7wj5_(—)041.cm_aa_(—)2 contained three high scoring pair (HSP)regions. Based on the assumption that these regions correspond to exonsfor mouse GITRL, primers were designed for PCR amplification. Theforward primer (5′-ATGGAGGAAATGCCTTTGAGAG-3′) (SEQ ID NO:4) and reverseprimer (5′-GAATGGTAGATCAGGCATTAAGATG-3′) (SEQ ID NO:5) amplified a cDNAclone from a mouse thymus library. The resulting fragment was subclonedand the DNA sequence was determined. A subsequent full-length clone wasamplified by PCR from the previous construct using5′-TTTAAAGTCGACCCACCATGGAGGAAATGCCTTTGAGAG-3′ (forward) (SEQ ID NO:6)and 5′-TTTAAAGAATTCTCATTAAGAGATGAATGGTAGATCAGGCAT-3′ (reverse) (SEQ IDNO:7) primers. The resulting PCR fragment was subcloned into the GFP-RVretroviral vector (Ouyang et al., 1998), and sequence determination ofthe final cDNA clone was performed. This vector was then transfectedinto the Phoenix cell line. Supernatants from the transfected Phoenixcells were used to transduce the YB2/0 cell line. GFP-expressing YB2/0cells were then FACS sorted and maintained in culture. The predictedmGITRL amino acid sequence is identical to that of another group (Kim etal., 2003), except for the substitution of an alanine for a valine atamino acid position 48 in their sequence.

Example 15.4 Production and Purification of Monoclonal Antibodies

Lewis rats were immunized once s.q. with 100×10⁶ YB2/0-GITRL cells inCFA. Two weeks later, these rats were immunized s.q. with100×10⁶YB2/0-GITRL cells in IFA. Two weeks later, rats were boosted with50×10⁶ YB2/0-GITRL cells in PBS. Four days later, the spleen washarvested and cell fusion was performed as previously described (Coliganet al., 2003). The supernatants from the resulting hybridomas werescreened by flow cytometry using Phoenix-GITRL and Phoenix cells.Antibodies were purified from cell culture supernatants using proteinG-loaded columns, and eluted antibodies were dialyzed against PBS.

Example 15.5 Cell Purification

T cells were purified from peripheral lymph nodes of mice. CD25⁺ T cellswere labeled with magnetic beads and purified on an autoMACS (MiltenyiBiotech, Auburn, Calif.) according to the manufacturer's protocol.Purity of the CD25⁺ cells was typically between 97 to 99 percent. Cellsremaining in the negative fraction were subsequently labeled with eitheranti-CD4 or anti-CD8 microbeads and purified using the positiveselection procedure on the autoMACS. Purity was routinely 90-95 percent.T cell-depleted spleen suspensions were prepared from erythrocyte-lysedsuspensions by depleting Thy1.2⁺ cells using the autoMACS. B220⁺ cellswere purified from splenocytes in a similar fashion using anti-B220microbeads (Miltenyi Biotech, Auburn, Calif.), and purity of theresulting preparations was routinely greater than 90%. Peritoneal cellswere prepared by flushing the peritoneal cavity (PerC) with 10 ml ofcold HBSS. For splenic DCs, splenocyte suspensions were prepared in amanner similar to that described (Vremec et al., 2000). Splenic DCs werethen purified from the suspensions using anti-CD11c microbeads (MiltenyiBiotech, Auburn, Calif.). The resulting DC suspensions were routinely 85to 90 percent pure. Rat CD4⁺CD25⁻ cells were generated by depleting ratsplenocytes of CD25⁺ cells using PE-anti-rat CD25 (OX-39) antibodiesfollowed by anti-PE microbeads. After depletion, CD4⁺ cells were thenselected from the depleted fraction using anti-rat-CD4 microbeads.

Example 15.6 In Vitro Proliferation Assays

Suppression assays were performed as described (Thornton and Shevach,1998). Briefly, (5×10⁴) cells were cocultured in FBS-supplemented RPMI1640 (Atlanta Biologicals, Atlanta, Ga.) with irradiated (3000R), Tcell-depleted splenocytes (5×10⁴) in the presence of 0.5 μg/ml anti-CD3mAb (2C11) in 96-well flat-bottom plates. To some cultures, antibodiesspecific for GITR or a Rat Ig isotype were added at a finalconcentration of 2 μg/ml. Titrated numbers of CD4⁺CD25⁺ cells were addedat final suppressor to responder ratios of 0:1, 1:2, 1:4, or 1:8.Cultures were pulsed with 1 μCi of ³H-thymidine for the final 5-8 hoursof a 72-hour culture, and were performed in triplicate unless otherwiseindicated. Cocultures of rat and mouse T cell subsets were setup in asimilar manner except irradiated (3000R) CD4-depleted rat splenocyteswere used as APCs, and rat and mouse T cells were stimulated using acocktail of anti-rat-CD3 (0.25 μg/ml) and anti-mouse-CD3 (0.25 μg/ml)mAbs.

Example 15.7 In Vitro Culture of Lymph Node Cells and CFSE Labeling

CD25⁺-depleted lymph node cell suspensions were prepared on the autoMACSas described above. Cells were labeled with CFSE at a concentration of 2μM for 8 minutes in a 37° C. water bath. Cells were then washed incomplete RPMI 1640. Cells (5×10⁴/well) were then cultured in 96-wellplates in the presence or absence of rhIL-2 (50 U/ml). Duplicate wellswere either pulsed with 1 μCi of ³H-thymidine for the final 5-8 hours ofa 72-hour culture or used for analysis of CFSE dilution.

Example 16 Discussion

The role of GITR in the function of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells was inferred fromthe demonstration that both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to GITRreversed the suppressive effects of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells when added tococultures of CD25⁺ and CD25⁻ T cells (McHugh et al., 2002; Shimizu etal., 2002). The CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells appeared to be the likely target forthe anti-GITR reagents because freshly explanted CD25⁺ T cells expressedGITR at higher levels than resting CD25⁻ T cells and because anti-GITRantibody together with IL-2 triggered the proliferation of CD25⁺, butnot CD25⁻, T cells in the absence of a TCR signal. Furthermore, whenShimizu et al added a rat anti-mGITR mAb, which was nonreactive with ratcells, to cocultures of mouse CD25⁺ suppressors and rat responder Tcells, a reversal of suppression was observed. These studies led to thehypothesis that engagement of GITR by agonistic anti-GITR antibodiesand, presumably, by its physiological ligand, generated a signal thatboth inhibited the suppressor activity of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells and reversedthe nonresponsiveness of the CD25⁺ T cells to exogenous IL-2.

Experiments were designed to attempt to extend and confirm these studiesby cloning the mouse GITRL, analyzing its tissue distribution, anddefinitively determining the target for the agonistic anti-GITRantibodies by using mixtures of CD25⁺ and CD25⁻ T cells from wild typeand GITR^(−/−) mice. Collectively, the studies demonstrate that theanti-GITR antibodies and GITRL abrogate the suppressive effects ofCD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells by providing CD25⁻ T cells a unique signal that raisestheir threshold for suppression by CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells. The studiesindicate that GITRL is selectively expressed on the cell surface of APC,with the highest level of expression on B-1 B lymphocytes; intermediatelevels on conventional B-2 B lymphocytes, macrophages, and B220⁺DCs; andlower levels on B220− DC subsets. GITRL is unique among members of theTNF superfamily in that it is expressed on resting APC, and itsexpression is downregulated by triggering the B cell receptor, CD40, ordifferent Toll-like receptors. Other members of the TNF superfamily(4-1BB-L, OX40-L, LIGHT, CD70, CD30-L) are not detectable on restingAPC, and their expression is upregulated by activation of the APC viaToll-like receptor stimulation (Croft, 2003). The present studies do notaddress whether the downregulation of GITRL expression from the cellsurface is accompanied by secretion of soluble GITRL, but Tone et al.(2003) have reported that LPS stimulation of DC, macrophages and B cellsresults in downregulation of GITRL mRNA. The expression of GITRL onresting APC strongly suggests that it functions early in the process ofT cell activation. Other cell types, including endothelial cells (Gurneyet al., 1999; Kwon et al., 1999), activated T cells, and certain subsetsof DN thymocytes were also shown to express GITRL, and the function ofthis molecule on these latter cell types remains to be determined.

The ability of both the anti-GITR antibodies and the GITRL expressingcells to enhance the activation of CD25⁻ T cells alone, as well as theability of anti-GITRL to partially inhibit the activation of CD25⁻ Tcells in the absence of CD25⁺ T cells, prompted a careful reexaminationof the cellular target(s) of these reagents. The addition of anti-GITRto cocultures of CD25⁺ and CD25⁻ T cells from wild type and GITR^(−/−)mice demonstrated that the target for the antibody-mediated reversal ofsuppression was the CD25⁻ T cell. This was further supported byexperiments using rat CD25⁻ responder and mouse CD25⁺ suppressor T cellsin cocultures, which conclusively demonstrated GITR ligation on theCD25⁺ T cell subset does not abrogate their suppressive function. Infact, an examination of CFSE dilution demonstrated that GITR ligationpromoted the expansion of CD25⁺ T cells in cocultures, which ultimatelyenhanced the suppression of the rat CD25⁻ responders. Therefore, it ispossible that the enhancement in proliferation in anti-GITR-treatedrat/mouse cocultures reported by Shimizu et al (2002), which waspresumed to be due to rat T cells, actually reflected proliferation ofthe mouse CD25⁺ suppressor cells. This would not have been apparent bymeasuring ³H-thymidine incorporation alone.

One previous report suggested that GITR-deficient T cells arehyperreactive to TCR stimulation (Ronchetti et al., 2002). However theextrapolation of those observations to the present observations aredifficult as that report did not analyze the responses of purified CD4⁺,CD8⁺ T lymphocytes, nor did it evaluate the role of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells.In the present studies, the responses of highly purified CD4⁺CD25⁻ andCD8⁺ T cells from GITR^(−/−) mice were comparable to those of controls.However, in the presence of physiological numbers of regulatory T cells,both CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells from GITR^(−/−) animals were completelyunresponsive to CD3 cross-linking. This result clearly demonstrates thatin the absence of GITR/GITRL interactions suppression is dominant.Indeed, the suppression of activation of CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells fromGITR^(−/−) mice was so strong that it could not be overcome by theaddition of a high concentration of exogenous IL-2, which normallyabrogates the suppressive effects of much higher numbers of CD25⁺ Tcells on the responses of wild type CD4⁺CD25⁻ T cells (Takahashi et al.,1998; Thornton and Shevach, 1998). The suppressive effects of theCD4⁺CD25⁺ were mediated by inhibition of both IL-2 production andexpression of CD25 by the CD4⁺CD25⁻ GITR^(−/−) responder population,which resembles what has been previously described for the effects ofCD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells on normal CD8⁺ T cell responses (Piccirillo andShevach, 2001).

The costimulatory signals delivered by GITR and CD28 appeared to bedistinct, but interrelated. In the absence of regulatory T cells, theresponses of both CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells from GITR^(−/−) mice wereidentical to those of cells from wild type mice. In contrast, under theculture conditions used in this study, CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells fromCD28^(−/−) mice were nonresponsive. Conversely, when IL-2 was added tocultures containing regulatory T cells, the responses of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ Tcells from the GITR^(−/−) mice were not restored, while the responses ofCD8⁺ cells from the CD28^(−/−) mice were partially restored. On theother hand, a potential cooperative relationship and shared signalinghierarchy between CD28 and GITR was supported by the demonstration that(1) CD4⁺CD25⁻ and CD8 T cells failed to upregulate GITR in the absenceof CD28 cross-linking and (2) anti-CD80/CD86 antibodies markedlyinhibited both the upregulation of GITR expression and responsiveness toanti-GITR antibodies. Thus, the results suggest that an additionalimportant function of the CD28-CD80/CD86 signaling pathway during T cellactivation is to license T cell resistance to CD25⁺-mediated suppressionby enhancing the expression and function of GITR.

Similar to the results suggested by other published studies (Shimizu etal., 2002; Tone et al., 2003), these studies indicate that ligation ofGITR on CD25⁻ T cells, in the absence of regulatory T cells, did providesome degree of costimulation. However, GITR ligation is not required forcostimulating CD25⁻ T cells in the same manner as CD28, as CD4⁺CD25⁻ andCD8 T cells from GITR^(−/−) mice respond similar to wild type T cells.We favor the view that engagement of GITR on both CD4⁺CD25⁻ and CD8⁺effector T cells by GITRL early during the course of an immune responseserves primarily to render the effector population resistant, e.g., lesssusceptible, to the suppressive effects of the CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells. Duringthe course of the response, inflammatory signals ultimately result inthe downregulation of GITRL expression, thereby increasing thesusceptibility of the effector cells to CD25⁺-mediated suppression.Although only limited data is available as to when CD25⁺-mediatedsuppression of immune responses to infectious agents occurs in vivo,some studies have suggested that it operates at the contraction, ratherthan the initiation, phase of the response to prevent tissue damagesecondary to exuberant inflammation (Suvas et al., 2003). It should bepointed out that engagement of GITR on CD25⁺ T cells in the presence ofIL-2 induces their expansion (McHugh et al., 2002). It remains possiblethat in vivo engagement of GITR on CD25⁺ T cells by GITRL on resting APCresults in the nonspecific expansion of regulatory T cells in thepresence of IL-2 secreted by effector T cells early in the course of theimmune response. This nonspecific expansion may be critical to thesubsequent generation of a pool of antigen-specific suppressor cellsthat function to inhibit effector cell activity later in the response.

We have previously proposed that manipulation of GITR/GITRL interactionsmay prove to be an effective way of manipulating regulatory T cellfunction in vivo (McHugh and Shevach, 2002). Although this concept wasbased on data suggesting that the CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cell was the target of theanti-GITR antibody, it is still the case that the GITR/GITRL interactionrepresents an important therapeutic target. Thus, treatment with anagonistic anti-GITR antibody or an agonistic GITRL-Fc should rendereffector cells resistant, e.g., less susceptible, to the suppressiveeffects of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells and should prove to be effective fortreating cancers and infectious diseases, for enhancement of immuneresponses to cancers (used alone or in combination with other tumortherapies, such as tumor vaccines), and for enhancement of immuneresponses to infectious pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, etc.(used alone or in combination with other therapies for infectiouspathogens, such as a vaccine adjuvant to weak vaccines for infectiousagents). Similarly, inhibition of GITR/GITRL interactions with a GITRagonist, e.g., through the use of a neutralizing anti-GITRL antibody orGITR-Fc, should lower the threshold of effector T cells to suppressionand thus be useful for the prevention and/or treatment of autoimmunedisorders, inflammatory diseases, transplant (or graft) rejection, andgraft-versus-host disease.

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1. An isolated nucleic acid molecule having 90% sequence identity to thenucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:3. 2-3. (canceled)
 4. An isolatednucleic acid molecule that specifically hybridizes under highlystringent conditions to the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ IDNO:3, or the complement thereto.
 5. An isolated nucleic acid moleculethat encodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2or an active fragment of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, whereinthe protein or the active fragment thereof is capable of binding GITR.6-7. (canceled)
 8. A nonhuman transgenic animal in which a transgene inthe somatic and germ cells contains DNA comprising the nucleotidesequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3.
 9. (canceled)
 10. An isolatedprotein having 60% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQID NO:2, or an active fragment thereof, wherein the protein or theactive fragment thereof is capable of binding GITR.
 11. An isolatednucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence complementary tothe nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:3, or a fragmentthereof, wherein expression of the nucleic acid molecule in a cellresults in decreased production of GITRL.
 12. (canceled)
 13. Anantisense oligonucleotide complementary to an mRNA corresponding to anucleic acid molecule comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1or SEQ ID NO:3, or a fragment thereof, wherein the oligonucleotideinhibits expression of GITRL.
 14. An siRNA molecule corresponding to anucleic acid molecule comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1or SEQ ID NO:3, or a fragment thereof, wherein the siRNA moleculeinhibits expression of GITRL. 15-17. (canceled)
 18. A method ofscreening for test compounds capable of inhibiting the interaction ofGITRL with GITR comprising the steps of: contacting a sample containingGITRL and GITR with the compound; and determining whether theinteraction of GITRL with GITR in the sample is decreased relative tothe interaction of GITRL with GITR in a sample not contacted with thecompound, whereby a decrease in the interaction of GITRL with GITR inthe sample contacted with the compound identifies the compound as onethat inhibits the interaction of GITRL with GITR.
 19. A method ofscreening for test compounds capable of enhancing or mimicking theinteraction of GITRL with GITR comprising the steps of: contacting asample containing GITRL and GITR with the compound; and determiningwhether the interaction of GITRL with GITR in the sample is increasedrelative to the interaction of GITRL with GITR in a sample not contactedwith the compound, whereby an increase in the interaction of GITRL withGITR in the sample contacted with the compound identifies the compoundas one that enhances or mimics the interaction of GITRL with GITR.
 20. Amethod for diagnosing an autoimmune disorder, an inflammatory disease,or transplant rejection in a subject comprising the steps of: detectinga test amount of a GITRL gene product in a sample from the subject; andcomparing the test amount with a normal amount of the GITRL gene productin a control sample, whereby a test amount significantly above thenormal amount provides a positive indication in the diagnosis of anautoimmune disorder, an inflammatory disease, or transplant rejection.21. A method for diagnosing cancer or an infectious disease in a subjectcomprising the steps of: detecting a test amount of a GITRL gene productin a sample from the subject; and comparing the test amount with anormal amount of the GITRL gene product in a control sample, whereby atest amount significantly below the normal amount provides a positiveindication in the diagnosis of cancer or an infectious disease. 22-26.(canceled)
 27. A method of treating a subject at risk for, or diagnosedwith, cancer or an infectious disease comprising administering to thesubject a GITR agonist. 28-29. (canceled)
 30. A method of inducingproliferation of a cell population containing effector T cellscomprising administering a GITR agonist to the cell population. 31-32.(canceled)
 33. A method of inhibiting proliferation of a cell populationcontaining effector T cells comprising administering a GITR antagonistto the cell population. 34-35. (canceled)
 36. A method of blockingsuppression of a cell population including effector T cells in thepresence of CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T cells comprising administering a GITRagonist to the cell population. 37-39. (canceled)
 40. A method ofsuppressing of a cell population including effector T cells in thepresence of CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T cells comprising administering a GITRantagonist to the cell population. 41-43. (canceled)
 44. A method oftreating cancer or an infectious disease in a subject, the methodcomprising the steps of obtaining a population of effector T cells,treating the population with a GITR agonist, and administering thetreated population to the subject afflicted with cancer or an infectiousdisease. 45-46. (canceled)
 47. A pharmaceutical composition comprising aGITR agonist and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
 48. (canceled)49. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a GITR antagonist and apharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
 50. (canceled)
 51. A vaccineadjuvant comprising a GITR agonist and an antigen selected from thegroup consisting of a viral antigen, a bacterial antigen, a fungalantigen, a parasitic antigen, a cancer antigen, a tumor-associatedantigen, and fragments thereof. 52-54. (canceled)